There’s a particular kind of optimism involved in making outdoor plans in Scotland.
You look at the forecast. You check it again. You compare two different weather apps in the hope that one of them might tell you what you want to hear.
And then, sometimes, you just have to go anyway.
As summer slips into autumn, the weather becomes increasingly unpredictable. Sunshine one minute, rain the next. A still morning can become a blustery afternoon, and a day that looked thoroughly grey can suddenly deliver an hour of beautiful golden light.
It would be easy to wait for the perfect conditions. But we’d miss an awful lot if we did.
The weather is part of the adventure
Some of our best days outdoors aren’t the picture-perfect ones.
They’re the slightly messy ones. The rides where you come home splattered in mud. The walks where the waterproof comes out halfway round. The swims that require a little more courage to get changed afterwards.
There’s something about being outside in less-than-perfect conditions that makes you feel properly alive.
Rain changes the smell of a forest. Wind transforms a familiar hill. Mist makes somewhere you’ve walked a hundred times feel completely different. And when the sun eventually breaks through, you notice it all the more.
The weather isn’t something happening around the adventure. It’s part of the adventure.
Dress for change, not perfection
Of course, embracing unpredictable weather doesn’t mean heading out unprepared. The difference between an exhilarating wet and windy day and a fairly miserable one can often come down to what you’re wearing.
This is where good outdoor layering earns its keep.
Start with a breathable base layer that helps regulate your temperature. Add warmth when you need it, then carry protection from wind and rain. Choose versatile layers that work together and can be pulled on, taken off and packed away as conditions change.
Merino wool is particularly brilliant at this time of year. Naturally breathable, temperature regulating and warm without unnecessary bulk, a merino base layer works across a surprisingly wide range of conditions.
You don’t need endless amounts of outdoor kit. You need the right kit: comfortable, versatile clothing that helps you stay outside for longer.
Don’t underestimate the ordinary adventure
Going outside doesn’t always need to mean climbing a mountain or disappearing into the wilderness for the weekend.
It might be an hour on the bike after work. A walk with a friend. A lunchtime loop through the woods. A quick dip. Taking the dog out even though the sky looks decidedly unpromising.
Sometimes the hardest part is simply getting out of the door. And yet, how often do we come back wishing we’d stayed at home?
Very rarely.
There’s usually something waiting for us out there: a conversation, a view, a moment of quiet, a blast of fresh air or simply the feeling that comes from moving our bodies and changing our perspective.
Autumn is coming. Let it.
There’s always a temptation at this time of year to cling onto summer. But autumn doesn’t need to mean retreating indoors.
The changing light, cooler air, empty trails, misty mornings and shifting colours bring a completely different kind of beauty to being outside.
So perhaps instead of mourning the end of summer, we can lean into what’s coming.
Pull on another layer. Pack the waterproof. Accept that your shoes might get muddy. And head out anyway.
Because there really isn’t a perfect day for an adventure. There’s just the day you have.
And sometimes that’s more than enough.
See you out there.
FINDRA
Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Book
The Open- Air Life by Linda Åkeson McGurk
Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day. An outdoorsy cousin of hygge, friluftsliv is what Nordic people do outside all day before they cosy up in front of the fireplace with their wool socks on and a cup of hot cocoa.
Favourite Quote
Favourite Song
Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics
I have not listened to this classic 80’s song for quite some time, and really enjoyed hearing it again!! And of course it's very apt for this week's Sunday Inspiration!!
