Places, people, & wildlife, with a dash of distilling and wild swimming
After several years the wildlife column in Outdoor Swimmer evolved into pages on the environment. Extra space for wildlife and wild landscapes looked at from perspectives of wildlife you might see, consumer choices that have impact on wildlife and spaces it inhabits, topical issues for watery wildlife, and a bit of armchair travel via films, podcasts, books and other means of experiencing distant places while still at home.
A beautiful loch and fantastic location for filming swimming and foraging. I spent a couple of days exploring this loch by swimming and looking at its waterside plants. Its waters are tinted dark by tannin making it a super mirror for the sky. Tucked amongst trees and in the lee of the mountains it is also a little sheltered from winds. We wrapped up filming with a few foraged cocktails made with local gin. It will appear as a little segment on lochs in a series on wildlife.
Swim outdoors and you’ll encounter wildlife. Â Creatures and plants inhabiting the water are one of the most distinctive differences between swimming outdoors and swimming indoors. They can be a source of delight and sometimes a worry. Â I write a column for Outdoor Swimmer on wildlife for swimmers, exploring what to look out for, where to look for it and how to enjoy it. Illustrations are created by Alice Goodridge, a swimmer who also draws. After a few years this column evolved into the Eco Pages
Here is a feature on swims with nearby distilleries I wrote for the Outdoor Swimming Society on some of my favourites around Britain and Ireland. I have also added these swims to Wild Swim Map in this collection of Swims & then gin (or whisky)