3 Week Solo Adventure - Help Needed!

[Mosnan]

For my 40th birthday (5 years away!) I have asked my girlfriend if I can leave her and the kids for 3 weeks for my birthday present.

I'm trying to be realistic with timescales and even though its 5 years away those with children will appreciate why I'm planning it so far in advance also 3 weeks at a time is the max I can take from my current employer. I reason this is enough time away from everything to get a feel for being alone in the wild.

I'm needed some advice on where to go - I want stay in the British Isles and plan to use either the Shogun, canoe, on foot or a combination. Plan to go early September 2015.

Due to my skills only stretching as far as fishing, fungi & common plants, I think I would have to take majority of my own food. Even though I'm planning to go in cep season.

I would want to make a static camp or take a canoe to keep everything in and move about but not sure UK is big enough.

I was thinking somewhere in Scotland possibly around a Loch but unsure of how much of a sense of wilderness I would get on a popular one or find a smaller one too small.

Hope someone can help and not think I'm sad planning a trip in 5 years time!

Nicolas

 

[scrogger]

Got kids here to Nicolas so know where your coming from mate. Are you looking for a particularly busy trip you know open fires etc etc with home comforts or more of a wilderness get out into it type trip (light weight backpacking type). As to be honest the options with either vehicle, canoe , or on foot are endless.

Scotland is the place to go though for def if you are staying on blighty.

 

[hog]

Sounds as if you are planning a mid life crisis.LOL.

 

[scrogger]

I thought you had to buy a sports car or a harley for one of them Hog! lol

 

[Walks with dogs]

Do the trip in leather trousers with a leggy 20 yr old blonde girly!

To be honest, just going off for a wander for three weeks sounds great. Park the Shogun up, go for a walk for a couple of days, then go see somewhere else. Or just tour Scotland for three weeks. Stick the canoe on the top and if you see some where you feel like a paddle off you go.

Maybe just exploring would be as good as planning - but i know planning can be half the fun.

 

[andybysea]

If i where allowed 3 weeks Instead of the odd 2 nighter(got kids and a misses that say NO!)id have a week in Wales,a week in the Lakes and a week in Scotland.

 

[shep]

That's a fantastic idea. I might start planning mine 7 years in advance.

My first thought is that for length of time that long I'd go overseas. You need enough space to stretch a trip like that out in. I'd be interested to know if those with more experience of Scotland disagree.

 

[Mosnan]

I'm not sure what the plan is completely - but I am the sort of person who likes to have a rough idea.
I'm kind of liking the idea of doing a bushtucker man style adventure with canoe on the shogun and having a base camp and a few nights here and there.

Just need somewhere to start in scotland thats not going have day trippers in - I just dont want to see anyone for 3 weeks except wildlife.

I wonder is there will be a wolf population in scotland in 5 years? I wouldn't mind adding the fear of being attacked by a pack of hungry wolves in the dead of night!

 

[Walks with dogs]

You say that now...

 

[hedgerow pete]

best lace for me would be borth west scotland thats about an isolated as can be evan the scotts dont want to be there, as for planning years inadvace i dont blame you I would love to be able to afford three weeks off

 

[Dougster]

I'd have to suggest Knoydart and further up the coast. Leave the shogun, paddle across to Knoydart, trek in and get away from it all.

That said I have trekked for several days in the Cairngorms, met fewer than ten poeple. None of them counted as meeting masses as they were quiet and of the same mindset. It didn't seem obtrusive.

Maybe a trek across the Cairngorms then drive on to the wilds o the West Coast?

I never contemplate the Lakes, I have never found a moments peace there, maybe I am too used to the Wilds of Scotland. I walked up Snowdon in a traffic jam last year.

 

[Doc]

I'd have to suggest Knoydart and further up the coast. Leave the shogun, paddle across to Knoydart, trek in and get away from it all.

That said I have trekked for several days in the Cairngorms, met fewer than ten poeple. None of them counted as meeting masses as they were quiet and of the same mindset. It didn't seem obtrusive.

Maybe a trek across the Cairngorms then drive on to the wilds o the West Coast?

I never contemplate the Lakes, I have never found a moments peace there, maybe I am too used to the Wilds of Scotland. I walked up Snowdon in a traffic jam last year.

The Carngorms is a good bet - it's so big that away from summer weekends you can be pretty much on your own if you're camping and avoid the Munros.

I've paddled in to Knoydart in May, and found that Barrisdale was pretty busy! There were maybe 10 tents there, and boats arriving with more people.
It's quite possible to see nobody, or very few folks in the hills though.

I've paddled Loch Laidon on Rannoch moor and saw nobody in two days though.

Another weekender near Loch Ericht was also lonely - I met one man who was staying in McCook's bothy but otherwise nobody.

Loch Etive is surprisingly quiet, considering it's accessibility.

Glen Affric is quiet on the south side. The north side has a road and car parks.

As always, getting away from people means putting in a few miles of boot on rock, or better still, paddling.

 

[w00dsmoke]

I've paddled Loch Laidon on Rannoch moor and saw nobody in two days though.

Another weekender near Loch Ericht was also lonely - I met one man who was staying in McCook's bothy but otherwise nobody.


As always, getting away from people means putting in a few miles of boot on rock, or better still, paddling.

I agree Doc and clearly you know the score. Avoid popular places like munro's and places that are easy to access. Laidon is a special place thats yet to be discovered by the masses. I know it well. I've walked almost the full length of it along the shore fly fishing...awesome. The South side of Ericht...very remote...Sutherland too...esp the west coast beyond Kylesku where the road leaves the coast for a bit. You'll see nobody.

But on the other hand when I can't walk far, it's easy to find places that are almost never visited other than by deer that are no more than half a mile from a road...

 

[mattburgess]

Havn't got any suggestions for locations but would suggest giving some idea of routes before hand to give to your missus - and some sort of location device. I know the UK isn't that wild but you can still get into difficulties and be stranded especially if your in remote areas without mobile reception, which is likely if your searching for solitude. Some mobiles (iphone is one such example) have apps that can send out location texts to several recipients. They can then track you on google etc. So, if you havn't checked in for a few days and your location is shown as a glen in the middle of the Highlands you have a good chance of being found!