nature

Views of the Quiraing, Trotternish ridge, Isle of Skye

Exploring Middle Earth on Skye with Children: The Quiraing

By the looks of this fantastic Jurassic landscape carpeted in Scottish green grass, the Quiraing could be part of Middle Earth, the Lord of the Rings continent replete with large scale mountains, valleys and coasts bordered by the undying lands and the land of the dead. And yet the minute you step on the trail, you [...]

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Do a cartwheel

12 Outdoors Adventures to Inspire Active Children (Slideshow)

Need some ideas to jazz up your summer days with kids away from electronics? Here is a sampler of outdoors adventures tried and approved by my girls, ages 7 and 9. You see, outdoors is a something we do a lot in our spare time and not just because I love it. Actually what I [...]

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Cross-country hiking in Scotland

Cross-Country Hiking with Children – Conquering the Geography of the Unknown

Typical Davy Crockett stuff – discovering new territories. We conquered the hills and dales of a Scottish island without so much as a trail on the ground – just a compass, a map and a solid appetite for adventure. John Muir would have been proud, he the Scottish-born naturalist who hunted for bird nests as [...]

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Aiming for a balloon with bow and arrow

Brave: How Children Can Build Their Own Bows and Arrows

Thanks to Brave action girl Princess Merida, archery has taken our household by storm. When I told my girls I’d signed them up for a Brave junior ranger day in Scotland where they’d be making their own bows and arrows, they were over the moon. I mean, making your own bows and arrows at ages 7 and [...]

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Boat moored at Scalpay Harbor

Private Island Family Escape on the Isle of Scalpay

You don’t have to be rich and famous to spend your next family vacation on a private island, longing for peace and quiet in the middle of the ocean. With 14 miles of shoreline, the Isle of Scalpay in Scotland counts only two guest cottages that you can book for week-long stays. It’s you and a [...]

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