Realising a dream

In the dark days of winter, it’s a great comfort to relive past adventures – and perhaps anticipate future ones. This month, I get to share with you perhaps the most memorable weeks I have ever had in the UK. For the past two springs, I’ve travelled to Assynt, a beautiful and haunting region of mountains, lochs and extraordinary coastline, where I have chanced upon quiet walking, climbing, foraging and fishing.

The sense of space, of landscape unwilling to be tamed, is a reminder that there are places that challenge us, that aren’t bound by the confines of digital life, that are still home to abundant nature. I hope I have conveyed a smidge of the atmosphere of that wonderful place and its inhabitants.

One regret is that I didn’t spend more time studying the rocks that are the bones of this stark landscape, as there are incredible stories beneath every step. Fortunately, Chris Jackson is on hand this month to explain the significance of six rocks that shape our countryside – and have shaped our history. There is something calming about spending time with ancient, immovable objects, rather than my usual trick of trying to find elusive birds in a vast landscape.

So take this month – and this issue – to plan a few adventures in the countryside. Whether it be on the doorstep or far away in places you have long yearned to experience.

Fergus Collins, editor@countryfile.com

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