What is Slow Travel and why you should try it this year
I’d like to take you back to winter 2019, prime surfing season, and the Hebridean islands off the coast of Scotland were looking very inviting. Known for their big waves, crystal shores and Baltic ocean temperatures, the idea of pulling on a thick neoprene suit and running out into a white-horse-peaked horizon felt like a crazy and awesome chilly dream.
With 10 days between Christmas, before heading back to the stresses of everyday life, I wanted to make the most my time. Packing the car and driving flat out up the North West coast of Scotland no longer had the same appeal that it had when I first discovered Scotlands wild coasts and Isles. Now it was more about the travelling, the places to see, and the people to meet.
A trip should be about the experience, from start to finish, and not about the panicked rush of planning and anticipating going away.
I made the choice to spend three days appreciating the journey to Oban, so that I could stop off whenever I wanted, have cups of tea by lochside beaches, and rise early for a few much-treasured Scottish sunrises. Drumlanrigg castle in Dumfriesshire was on my way, and didn’t disappoint. Then it was on through Glasgow, and to Loch Lomond. Finally, a day trip to the Bridge of Orchy, and a pink dawn sky that would rival any I have ever seen.
This year looks as though it will be the year of the staycation (Although we’re big advocates of that every year) but I had no idea what 2020 would have in store for all of us. We want to get the most out of the time we had off, and see as much of the country as we could. There are some truly beautiful parts of the United Kingdom, and slow travel enables you to experience more of them, to be at one with your surroundings, and to stop the streaming rush of modern life.
As far as we can see, there are 5 main reasons to try slow travel:
1. You get to explore more of the country
2. The journey becomes the destination
3. Travelling stops being a stressful necessary, and becomes something you can enjoy
4. Potentially longer holidays! (Who doesn’t love that idea?)
5. It is more environmentally friendly than flying.
Slow travel is about appreciating every part of your holiday, including the car or train ride. A term used to describe a road-trip-at-your-own-pace kind of journey; you can plan a trip that will lead you through some of the Scotland’s wild and peaceful places, with no time commitments, or undue stress. Nights away, before your nights away. Gasp-worthy scenery, new experiences and joy-inspired memories, before you have even arrived at your destination. Slow travel is the new adventure, with a schedule to fit anybody, and that’s why we will be trying it this year (and you should too.)
Exploring and Seeing more of the Country
Every year, as I explore and discover more and more of the Scotland, I hear about new weird and wonderful places. Every year, my list of ‘must-visits’ that I keep in the back of my wallet, grows longer. I could almost fill a notebook.
There is only so much time in the world and, no matter how much I wish there were more hours in a day, that is unlikely to change any year soon. So instead, I have endeavoured to find new ways to explore (and see) as much as I can. To turn off the ticking clock, as it were, in an effort to appreciate every moment in an entirely new place.
This is when the concept of slow travel really comes into its own.
There is something to be said about sitting down with a map, plotting a route and deciding to take a few days off on the way to stay somewhere else.
The west coast of Scotland, heading to Oban and then on to Tiree, is an ideal opportunity to experience slow travel. I’d highly recommend it, as restrictions begin to ease. You’ll be able to follow the mountain ridge-lines, breathtaking passes and coastal roads before spending a much needed break on the Isle of Tiree.
After heading up from the South West, the road to the ‘gateway to the Hebridean Isles’ (or Oban) leads through the Trossachs National Park. With high-rising hilltops and vast sapphire lochs, this is the ultimate place to start any holiday amongst the Scottish wilderness. A day or so here, exploring on foot, surrounded by the bright greens of towering trees and an evening on the beach – Heaven doesn’t come close.
As you continue your your journey towards Oban don’t turn left at the Green Welly at Crainlarich. That would be crazy. Continue on the A82 and try a brief stay amongst the towering mountains that surrounded Rannoch Moor. Having driven across Europe and under the royal blue sky of the Arizona Desert, there is no road that excites me quite as much as this one. A dark black ribbon that weaves its way between vast plains of untouched beauty, all highlighted by a rocky Munroe skyline.
Bridge of Orchy is on the way and, having stayed there earlier in the year, we can highly recommend it as a slow-travel stop off on the way to Tiree.
It never fails to amaze me just how many different environments you can find yourself in when adventuring in Scotland – and what better way to highlight that than the road back down the coast from Glencoe to Oban. All in one trip, you can be treated to shimmering still lochs, mountainsides, the heartland of Scottish outdoor culture at Fort William, and still be near enough to the ocean that with one ferry ride you’ll be on the Isle of Tiree.
The Journey Becomes The Destination
One of the wonderful aspects of slow travel is that it allows us to be more in-touch, and connected with, the places that we travel through.
“No matter how you do it, the key is slowing down—and making the most of each moment of your vacation.” – Smarter Travel
Imagine waking up in a cosy Scottish cottage to the sound of birdsong. You’re on your way to one of the most beautiful Scottish islands, but have stopped for a few nights amongst the rolling hills of Dumfries and Galloway. A hazy mist drifts over the forest; sunlight can be seen peeking through from your bedroom window. A blue skies, sweater weather day – and you can enjoy it all, with no need to hurry on. This is what slow travel is all about; the journey is of as much importance as your final destination.
Every minute can be cherished, no longer a ‘Look at that view’ whizzing by as the car drives through, but now a wholly lived experience in which you can connect with your surroundings.
Travelling stops being a stressful necessary
Fitting very well with the ideology of mindfulness, and the many benefits that brings to our lives, slow travel stops the rush of the modern day. Instead of hurrying to arrive as soon as possible, when the journey becomes part of the holiday then even the car ride can be stress-free and relaxing.
So often, our holiday is a little slice of joy we get to experience, sandwiched between two long journeys which are a necessary (but not always welcome) stress. What if we just took that part away?
That is the aim of slow travel. From the moment you pack your car, and lock your front door, you’re on holiday.
“Slow travel is a mindset that rejects traditional ideas of tourism and encourages you to soak in your environments and keep yourself open to new experiences.” — The Art of Slow Travel
Taking the long route is not necessarily a bad thing. In-fact, I’m pretty partial to it! It allows you to step outside the desperation to get away that often drives us to try to arrive at our destination as soon as possible. In a time where, I believe, we all need time to refresh ourselves after what has already been a long and unpredictable year, slow travel offers the opportunity to truly take in your surroundings.
It’s better for the Environment - And can be done with Public Transport too
Slow travel as a principle started as a protest against flights, and the ‘tourist fatigue’ that comes from trying to see too much, too quickly.
The rejection of flights, in itself, is enough to start reducing the impact your holiday will have on the environment. In-fact, outside of going car free, not flying is the easiest and quickest way to significantly reduce your carbon footprint. An economy return flight, from London to New York, emits an estimated 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, according to the calculator from the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Whilst driving still has environmental implications, they are significantly lower – and travelling slow encourages an entirely new outlook on how holidays are taken, which in turn actively works to reduce time spent on transport of any kind.
This ideology that encourages taking more time to reach your destination perfectly fits a public transport holiday away too, and in a country well connected it seems like a fantastic opportunity to slow down and take in the world around us.
In the case of my earlier example (And trip I really hope to get the chance to make a reality later this year), coaches run from Glasgow, all the way up through the Highlands, to Fort William.
It’s just a case of choosing where you want to go, and when.
In and around Fort William, there are multiple natural and man-made beauties that deserve a mention. Inverlochy Castle is a fantastic slow afternoon activity, followed by a homemade cake and hot chocolate in one of the towns many local cafes. There is also a bustling nightlife, and classic hill walks (such as Coire Gabhail, also known as the Lost Valley) which could easily take weeks to fully explore.
From Glencoe, and Rannoch Moor, just south of Fort William, it is easy enough to get a coach down the coast to Oban Harbour. From there, ferries with space for foot passengers to a wide variety of destinations across the Hebridean Islands. In true slow travel style, you could take one that visits multiple islands. Stop at Coll on the way to the Isle of Tiree, spend a few days soaking up their fishing culture, and then move on to the ‘Hawaii of the North’ and its pearly crystal beaches and emerald rolling fields.
Once on any of the islands, slow travel seems to be impossible to avoid. These homely and welcoming destinations run at a different pace of life, one that is as compelling as it is relaxing.
Warm and cosy cafes are the thing to do after a day spent exploring beaches and cycle routes, and the community feel is one that envelopes any visitors that arrive.
Slow travel, the answer to rushed holidays and busy home life, is a wonderful way to connect to your surroundings, and yourself. In the year of the staycation, what better way is there to experience your home country than by taking a little longer to truly appreciate all the places that make it quite so beautiful? Taking a ‘home away from home’ approach also ensures you return rejuvenated, and refreshed. This is about you, doing what is best for you, and doing better for the places you visit too. Slow travel is a new approach to taking time off, and that is we believe you should try it.