Walking in the UK isn’t just about mountains and wild places. More and more of us are choosing active travel for our daily commute. It makes sense, why spend time (and money) at the gym when that hill on the way to work could be giving you a daily cardio workout? With our fantastic network of public footpaths and bridleways, it’s even possible to include a few urban greenspaces into our walk-to-work routines. But there’s one problem with that. What do you put on your feet? Which boots are best for active travel? Both B1 and I are big fans of walking boots; they support your ankles, keep your f ..read more

Looking back through the Blonde archives, it’s clear to me that whisky and Scotland have featured in a fair few of our adventures. Walking of course, has featured in almost all of our eleven years of blogging. So it makes sense we should be asked to review a book with the title, ‘Whisky Walks Scotland‘.  There was the time I serendipitously booked a cottage so close to the Glenfiddich distillery Mr B2 and I could taste whisky in the air. There was the time I had a tour of the first Dartmoor Distillery before it even started distilling. And there was the time B1 found herself wading throu ..read more

Access rights in the UK are currently a hot (some might say super-heated) topic. With more and more of us enjoying the outdoors (hooray!) it makes sense that we are interested in where and how we’re legally permitted to visit the places we enjoy. Land access is a complicated issue (as is water access), especially for those trying to balance the needs of landowners, and the imperative to look after protected sites, with the importance of access for all to our green and blue spaces. One thing that is starting to change the access landscape in England is the (rather exciting) England Coast Path ..read more

This Sunday 25th September is National #GetOutsideDay 2022. Founded by our favourite map-maker, Ordnance Survey, #GetOutsideDay is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate some of the great outdoor opportunities we have here in the UK. And have a fabulous time with family and friends.   Looking after the outdoors while it looks after you   We could all make this #GetOutsideDay a planet-friendly adventure. We know that getting outside is great for our health and wellbeing but what about the health and wellbeing of our planet? Looking after that has to be good for us too! We all want ..read more

Sponsored Post Holidays costs are rising The fact that it’s getting more and more expensive to go on holiday will come as a surprise to absolutely no one. When the cost of running appliances in your home or putting food on the table is going up so sharply, you wouldn’t expect to see prices for flights and hotels heading in the opposite direction. The whole world is experiencing high inflation right now, which means that wherever you go, pretty much everything is going to be more expensive. Managing your holiday finances This puts a renewed focus on budgeting for your travel plans. For many peo ..read more

It’s no secret that I like sleeping outside. In fact to celebrate my 50th birthday year I successfully spent 50 nights sleeping outside (or at least nearly outside). The jury is currently out on whether I will go for sixty nights in my sixtieth year but this summer I’ve just had an outdoor sleeping experience that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to beat. I spent a week sleeping on the deck of a Turkish gulet. Before I get into the wonderful details, let me explain the sleeping arrangements. A gulet is a beautiful traditional Turkish boat. Ours had stunning wooden cabins with comfortable beds ..read more

A trip to Scotland might not necessary feature the Port of Mallaig but there are many reasons for you to visit. I recently went there on a school trip and was very pleased with what I found. Despite it being quite a small town it was full of interesting things and was a great base for our explorations. Unfortunately our stay only lasted three nights as we have other destinations to explore (Stirling and the Lake District) but we packed a lot in! We stayed at the fabulous Mission Bunkhouse which was very comfortable. Mallaig is a working fishing port and is a fascinating place to watch the worl ..read more

We all love our outdoor clothing but for the price we often pay, it can spend too much time in the drawer. This summer we Blondes have been shopping for outdoor and active gear that will work on all kinds of levels. You know the sort of thing. Walking trousers that are also comfy on the plane. Running tops you can sleep in when you’re camping (see above). Swimsuits that can take you through your distance paces but also look great on holiday. Footwear that can go just about anywhere.   We’ve worked together in a sponsored capacity with Very to put together a few outfits that are doing a gr ..read more

Wanderers, A History of Women Walking by Kerri Andrews Summer time is about many things. It can be about relaxing (especially if, like me, you work in a school), getting outdoors (a definite) while the weather is good, getting jobs done (gardening for instance). But summer time for me is also about having some time to read. I love reading but life often gets in the way and I don’t get stuck into a good book as frequently as I would like. Every summer I work my way through a pile of books that have built up since last summer. The pile is a mix of teenage fiction (great for a quick read and gett ..read more

Ticks for all seasons ‘Check your dark places!’ ‘Who’s got the tick tweezers?’ ‘Let your GP know if…’ Have sadly all become phrases any outdoor instructor in the UK will know well. And not just in the summer months. B1 and I reported our first Dartmoor winter tick sighting back in February 2019 but that’s now a picture that’s common across the UK. Our winters are milder. The ticks aren’t dying off so readily. Ticks on Dartmoor in February Shorts might not be the best clothing choice in areas of high tick risk. And they still carry with them the risk of diseases like Lyme Disease and tick-bor ..read more