The Vitamin Sea Film Tour

The Vitamin Sea Film Tour, 2019

The film documents my world-record Stand up Paddleboarding expedition last year, the full length of mainland UK, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

I’d like to start with a disclaimer. I’m not a cyclist.

So it may come as no surprise to you that I found cycling from the depths of Cornwall to the top of Shetland very, very challenging.

In 2018 I stand up paddleboarded the length of the UK, from Land’s End to John O’Groats. That wasn’t particularly easy either actually. But I had my reasons - to discover the positive things happening the length of the UK to tackle plastic pollution, to raise money for two mental health charities, and to grieve the loss of one of my very best friends, Sarah, who lost her battle with depression.

We made a film about the expedition. I had expected the main focus to be on plastic pollution, community action, the importance of grassroots activism, and perhaps a nod to the need to reconnect to nature. But my boyfriend, James Appleton, who was making the film, saw everything behind the scenes of that journey that I was brushing aside to get on with the task at hand. He documented that, and created the story that he thought presided over the expedition. At its root the thrilling adventure, its trials and tribulations, its joy, but interspersed with our desperate need to reconnect to our planet not only to drive a desire to protect it, but to look after our own wellbeing, our mental health; how that environment, for me, is where I find peace, and where I find comfort in the depths of grief. There is definitely a healthy dose of plastic pollution, but more of a focus on how communities connected to their environment are going above and beyond to tackle it, and how that community connection and mutual support is helping to drive further change.

The first time I watched the film I had to do it in stages because I was crying so much. But after a few viewings I felt thrilled at watching it; extremely proud to have achieved the physical expedition, and grateful to have met so many wonderful people along the way.

We held the premiere of the film in Croyde in March with dryrobe, and the Q and A afterwards was quite remarkable - so honest and powerful. I think by sharing my own journey, others felt safe to share theirs too. That felt really special, and I felt very privileged to be a part of those conversations. I hadn’t expected the discussions that arose, and the coming together of the people in that room. Because the film felt so personal to me, so exposing, and because of those powerful conversations that arose as a result, I didn’t feel able or ready to release the film off into the ether, and decided instead that I wanted to do a tour with the film, to communities around the UK that had supported me during the challenge the year before, and to be present for the Q and As afterwards.

But... I didn’t want to drive. It would have been so much easier to take my camper van, and tick off the miles while having a nice tour of the UK at the same time, but I felt unable to dispense that much carbon into the atmosphere for one person travelling. So I decided to cycle.

Now, the closest I’d every come to road cycling was on a bike I recovered from the tip for £10. My idea of riding a bike was going very fast down a very steep hill on a very bouncy bike. Not slogging up hill for hours on end. To this end, I didn’t own a road bike, but am very grateful to the lovely people at Specialized for loaning me a bike for the duration of the film tour. Legends.

It turns out cycling to the shops is very different from cycling 50 miles a day, laden with kit. At first I absolutely hated it. I hated all the kit, hated being clipped in and feeling so far from free. I hated cycling on busy roads, with inconsiderate drivers. I was getting angry at drivers leaving their engines on in stand still traffic, and became very aware of, and sickened by, just how many cars are on the road, how much they smell, how much noise they make, and the pollution they’re causing.

I discovered the lingering pain that results from falling into bushes of nettles on canal tow paths, the importance of not letting myself get hungry - the anger got worse - and just how cold it gets when you sweat then stop.

But I also learnt, eventually, a love for life on the road, when that road meanders through hedgerows in Devon, or mountains and coastline in Scotland.

I also took several trains. The first one was at the very beginning of my trip, when I woke up on the day I was due to set off feverish and full of cold. Cycling was the last thing I needed ahead of a 3 month film tour. There were some days when cycling just wasn’t an option due either to the distance I needed to travel to make a film screening, or to just how sore my bottom became. Sometimes also because I just couldn’t face another day of cycling into horizontal rain.

Having said that, I fell in love with travelling at a slower pace than by car, and all the things to be seen, smelt, felt and experienced cycling that’s impossible when chugging along at 60mph.

I felt proud of my legs for stepping up to the challenge, and by the end felt a real connection to my bike, trusty steed, that never let me down, helped me push up big hills, and to let go down the best downhills. I felt mostly safe, and felt a real sense of pride for not taking the easy way out which would have been driving, and instead finding a new way to enjoy our stunning country.

Over 3 months we had 30 film screenings, with 1500 audience members.

We raised money for 10 charities, and the raffle as part of the tour raised almost £2500 to set up the Vitamin Sea Project! (More details below)

And most important of all were the discussions after the film screenings, and connections to fellow like-minded people, so many of whom have very kindly offered support for the Vitamin Sea Project. It was so affirming to know that thousands of people around the country feel similarly about our need to reconnect to nature. People are craving it, craving to know how they can feel better, and what role time outside has in that. Craving to know what their role is in protecting our natural world. Craving to be part of a community.

That’s what I hope the Vitamin Sea Project will do.

So!

I’ve broken the trip into steps. I recommend you see this as less of a blog, and more of a mini book. Grab a cuppa and settle in - this may take a while!

1. Cornwall and Devon.

Because of the aforementioned flu, a spanner was thrown in the works. A spanner which would cost me my helmet and favourite mug.

I wasn’t able to book a last minute bike space on the train to Cornwall. So I just thought I’d wing it, but in my hurry to get onto the train unnoticed I dropped my helmet and favourite mug onto the train tracks! Full of cold, feeling pretty miserable and sorry for myself, rushed and exhausted already from lugging a bike loaded with kit around, I sat on the train and cried. I called James to relay the bad news, and bless him he had a hard time keeping a straight face as I wailed about my mug. I realised I wasn’t crying over my lost mug, but the fact that I’d been on the verge of tears all morning and this event was the straw that broke the camel’s back. To my rescue, he called the train station and had it sent along for me on the next train. What a babe.

So I arrived in Cornwall flustered, already exhausted and anxious about being away from home for 3 months with just my bike as transport. It’s a natural feeling, the anticipation of the unknown, but mixed into this was an unknown as to how people would take the film. I was worried it was too much about me, too personal, and too much about Sarah. It’s really hard talking about your mate when she’s no longer here to run that past. What would she think? Would she be ok with me talking about her? I didn’t want to use her memory, or say things about her that she wouldn’t have wanted sharing. But I couldn’t ask her what was and wasn’t ok.

The first film screening in Porthtowan was just absolutely phenomenal, and I would just like to thank anyone reading this who came along for embracing me, supporting me and being part of the conversation there. Hosted by James Otter, from Otter Surfboards, we were raising money for Surfers Against Sewage. To this end, I had expected the Q and A to be focussed on plastic pollution. But instead the community in Porthtowan wanted to talk about how they could help others reconnect to nature too. This is a group of people who LOVE where they live, deeply. Surfers, paddleboarders, ocean lovers. My tribe.

Stop number two was the Wave Project in Newquay, another brilliant evening, followed by Bude, supported by 2 Minute Beach Clean, and the lovely Martin Dorey, our last-minute MC. The sense of community in Bude is palpable; there’s a real feeling of support and love for each other, and I loved my evening with this brilliant crew.

Cycling through the roads of Devon to head back home for a night to North Devon I was struck by just how gorgeous the hedgerows in late summer are! Not only do they look absolutely beautiful - ecosystems full of butterflies, insects, birds, mammals and plants, but they smell amazing. Have you ever walked or cycled past honeysuckle in a hedgerow on a warm summer’s day? It’s sublime, and something I just wouldn’t have experienced had I driven. What a place to live.

The last stop in Devon was Exeter, hosted by AS Watersports, another sell-out event with over 100 people there, and another brilliant atmosphere of paddlers and water lovers. I was very grateful to see lots of my friends there - cycling for hours on end can get pretty lonely.

It was after Exeter, realising that I had a very long way to cycle to Bristol, and very little energy left, that I decided to take the train. My usual bedtime is 9.30pm. I was going to bed after 11 every night, buzzing after amazing discussions at the events, but unable to switch off until very late. With the packed schedule I had, cycling between venues was just not going to be sustainable, and the purpose of the tour was the screenings after-all. So I began to get very well acquainted with the National Rail network.

2 - Bristol and the Midcounties.

Another packed out night, and a brilliant crowd in Bristol with Palm Equipment. There were quite a few veterinarians in the audience, so the discussion incorporated the need for better protection of colleagues’ mental health, and why the profession has such a high suicide rate. In a profession which is built on compassion for our patients and clients, often times the clinicians’ wellbeing is the last on the list of considerations. Although it truly is a fantastic profession, with a lot of very supportive people, long working hours, stressful situations, enormous pressure and a culture of martyrdom amongst perfectionists can all lead to vets finding it all too much. Exhaustion, leading to compassion fatigue can sometimes consequently lead to depression. In our working lives, euthanasia is seen as the kindest way out for those suffering incurable or particularly painful conditions, and speaking from experience, depression can feel like an incurable disease at the time. So perhaps that’s why so many vets see suicide as the best way to deal with the pain and hopelessness of depression. Thank you to all the vets who came along to the Vitamin Sea film tour, particularly those of you who so bravely opened up about what being a vet, and its stresses, meant to you.

The morning following the Bristol screening I was stoked to see some of the previous night’s audience at a Paddle Against Plastic SUP clean up with SUP Bristol, raising money for Frank Water Charity. The screening in Bristol had also held lots of discussion around time on the water, and those conversations flowed the next morning with the clean up. I felt incredibly humbled to be able to be a part of those conversations from really lovely women who opened up to me just how much being on the water on their SUP meant for their mental health. It isn’t just the oceans, folks!

Another train to Cheltenham, followed by a cycle up the biggest hill I think has ever been cycled up, and I was on my way to the Midcounties Co-op Gloucester Fun Day. We weren’t showing Vitamin Sea, but my previous film, Skye’s The Limit, in our One Change tent. More about my involvement with the Midcounties’ 1Change campaign here.

I then cycled to Walsall. This was a culture shock. For over a week I had been able to cycle on either country roads or cycle paths. Now I was on mainly roads. It was so far from my comfort zone - just shy of 100km of dodging cars, driving rain and road juice spraying all over me. At one point I made it onto a canal path, after hours of having been desperate for the loo. You can’t just drop trou by the road like you can when you’re miles out to sea. But absolutely desperate, I decided to find a quiet bit of canal with some shrubbery and relieve myself. After being asked by a pair of men if I was ok (“YES FINE THANKS PLEASE KEEP MOVING!”) I had my first experience of getting well acquainted with nettles. This first time was a mere flirt with the pain that these brutal plants can inflict, as I fell off my bike straight into a massive bush of the things.

As you can imagine, that evening I was a little less than impressed with my decision to cycle this tour. I made it to a BnB I’d booked in Walsall which was intended as a treat for myself, but when I discovered that karaoke in the pub beneath me would conclude at 2am, camping by the canal had an improved attraction.

After arriving in my BnB, and carrying my kit and bike 3 floors though approximately 11 fire doors, into my room, I decided I desperately needed to switch off and combat the grumpiness that had overtaken me. So with legs bright red and itchy, covered in nettle welts, soaking wet, after battling with my neoprene overshoes for over 10 minutes before I finally released my feet, I trudged to a Bangladeshi restaurant down the road and ordered everything on the menu. I then excused myself to the waiter, plugged my headphones into my iPad and watched SpiderMan. Sanity restored.

The following day was MUCH better. I spent the first few hours with my tribe at Midcounties Co-op and Walsall Against Single Use Plastic and a brilliant community of people in Walsall discussing what can be done locally. The cycling after that was through some unexpectedly lovely countryside, reminding me that we don’t have to be at the beach to enjoy nature - even in the busiest cities it prevails. And just to top it off, that evening I met up with my little brother and went to the pub. What an absolute treat of a day.

Before setting off on my trip, I had asked for one-on-one tuition on how to change an inner tube from my local cycling shop. It had seemed pretty straightforward that day. But 30 miles in, cycling up a canal tow path, with the dreaded sound of air rushing out of a tyre, I knew It was going to have to be a call to the emergency services. Mum and Dad.

I pushed my bike to the nearest pub and, banished to the beer garden and feeling very sorry for myself, legs itching after another nettle gauntlet, I waited for my knights in shining armour to arrive. Even as a 31 year old adult, I find there’s something infinitely comforting about seeing my parents driving into a pub car park to rescue me. I was so exhausted I collapsed, filthy dirty and sweaty, into the back of their van, and once home did not refuse my mum’s offer of washing my filthy, nettle-stung legs. Fresh PJs, lots of food and an early night and I was ready to face the day again.

3 - Manchester to Scotland

The last few days of solo cycling had been, to be honest, a bit grim. There were patches of beauty, a few funny moments, but mostly I’d been suffering from severe sense of humour failure and a longing to get back into somewhere resembling wild.

So setting off again up the tow path towards Manchester I was still feeling somewhat grumpy. But joined by the lovely Caroline who had got in touch on instagram to offer company, I suddenly realised that the problem wasn’t my surroundings, it was my inner ecosystem. I was grumpy, off kilter and frankly being somewhat ungrateful. I love being with people, love going on mini adventures with my friends, and that’s exactly what Caroline helped to remind me. Being with someone else, even the uphills could be made fun. And she brought flapjack. Thank you Caroline.

Patagonia Manchester got the beers in that evening, and we had a top night with loads of friends and family, and the cutest dog I’d seen in ages. I have a medical condition whereby I need to touch at least one dog a day or I implode. This little guy kept me going for DAYS!

Another two days cycling and I’d stopped off at Preston with Plastic Free Preston and Kendal with Klean Kanteen and Wonderful Wild Women. On my way to Kendal I came across standstill traffic for miles and miles heading to a showground . Miles of cars with one or two people in them, engines on, standing still. On the most gorgeous day of the year. I could smell the fumes, felt my chest getting tight cycling through them. I couldn’t help wonder how many of the people in them might have been able to walk or cycle given a bit more planning. And it also reminded me just how few of us think about driving and the impact that has - it’s so accepted to jump in the car to go somewhere. I do it myself! Also, how many of us leave our engines on without thinking about it. After being told off by someone in a car park for leaving my engine on while I faffed in the driver’s seat one day, I’m so aware of it. (At the time I was furious for being told what to do! But now I feel so grateful to have had my eyes opened.) If there’s one thing you take away from this whole blog, please can it be to turn your engine off when you don’t need it to be on?

After Kendal I was invited to a swim in Windermere. I’d been following a group called Bouy 13 for months, but never knew how to find them. This was them! We giggled, swam, chatted, and James even got in for a dip! (This is a big deal) Swimming in the sea is something I do regularly at home, but usually on my own. Being there with a group of absolutely lovely women was so much fun, and going for coffee with them afterwards kept me going for my journey to Barrow in Furness. Ben joined me to Barrow, and having that company to cycle through the mega heat of the summer’s day made it not only possible but so enjoyable. Turns out I’m not the social recluse I sometimes make myself - being with people buoys me, makes me feel myself, brings out the best, most positive side of me. Thank you Ben.

Barrow offered me my first sight of the sea since Devon - I ran and jumped into the warm ocean, dipped my head under the waves, sore bottom and stung legs all forgotten, cycling through the roads in the midlands all forgiven. All ok with the world again. My time in Barrow was far too short, as I caught up with a friend I met for the first time when paddling in 2018. Thank you to everyone who supported the screening in Barrow - big shout out to Elizabeth for looking after me so well, and Sheila for bringing me delicious, homegrown edible goodies to the screening.

The next cycle was a biggie. Up over quite a few hills from bottom to top of the Lake District. I had been excited for it and dreading it in equal measure. This time I was joined by the lovely Lauren in Ambleside, and after one of the biggest feeds I’ve ever had, we cracked on with our ride, making sure we stopped off at every possible body of water to get in for a splash. Half way up the last hill to Keswick, on the horizon I saw the gorgeous James Appleton cycling towards us, and knew that I had company and comfort for the next few days.

After a couple days of rest in Keswick with James, and a super fun screening at his restaurant The Round, it was time to head to the coolest venue of the whole tour - Project One Skatepark in Carlisle. Not only were we in the best venue ever, we were treated to donuts.

4 - Dumfries to Glasgow

If there’s one thing you can rely on Scotland for, it’s that her weather is completely unreliable. I discovered this on my first day cycling in Dumfries. Literally horizontal rain for a solid 8 hours, I was drenched. My route also incorporated some pretty hectic main roads, in poor visibility - I was scared. I have spent so many hours on my paddle aboard alone out to sea, around gnarly headlands, through gale force winds, shipping channels and head high waves. On the main roads in Dumfries I felt more aware than ever before of my fragility, vulnerability and mortality as enormous lorries roared past. I was scared - this was serious. Out to sea I can inflate my PFD, activate my personal locator beacon and hang on for dear life for the rescue boat. One wrong move by me or a lorry that day and nothing would have been able to save me. I vowed to avoid these busy roads from now on. Once off the road, I went to the nearest shop, bought half a homemade chocolate cake, and proceeded to stuff the whole thing into my mouth. Comfort eating at its finest.

The next stop was a very special place. Portpatrick.

Now for anyone who’s seen Vitamin Sea or my wee stint on Springwatch earlier this year, you’ll understand the importance of Portpatrick.

For anyone who doesn’t, I won’t spoil the film for you, but I will give you the basics. The people of Portpatrick were there to pick me up when I needed it most, and it’s there I learnt my most profound lesson from the SUP expedition. People Protect What They Love.

So naturally I’d booked 3 nights in Portpatrick. It still wasn’t long enough. One film screening, two school talks, a beach clean with all my Portpatrick friends (thank you guys), a very cold sea swim with my friend Simon, and 3 nights in the comfiest bed ever at his BnB, No4 Portpatrick and I reluctantly moved on.

Despite having fallen in love with the coastline North of Portpatrick, I had made the decision not to cycle it as the road between Stranraer and Glasgow was a prime route for lorries. Going very fast.

So I was brought very quickly back to reality when I got off the train in Glasgow and cycled to Clydebank. It rained, of course, but more than that I was struck by just how much litter there was EVERYWHERE. This isn’t to shame Glasgow, as a lot of cities suffer from the same fate, but it was absolutely filthy. I was really struck by how important it is to continue to bring the message of environmental protection inland, into our cities. Glasgow sits on the river Clyde, which goes straight out to sea. It might not be one of the top 10 polluting rivers in the world, but it has its share of responsibility just like everywhere does. If we can stop that litter while it’s on land, in the cities, it’s a lot easier than dredging it out of the Clyde, or worse, picking it up off beaches.

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel on Clydebank very kindly put me up while in Glasgow, and I was incredibly relieved to hear about their dedication to reducing single-use plastic in their business. Thanks guys.

5 - New York.

Yep, you read that right!

I had a wee detour from Glasgow to New York with dryrobe.

I was very nervous about this trip, as flying across the Atlantic seemed a little contradictory to me given the reasons for my current mode of transport. However, we were going there for the APP World Tour, to run a beach and SUP clean, and to show Vitamin Sea. I’m so, so glad I went. Not only did we have a lot of fun, and it was a great opportunity for James and I to be in the same city at the same time for a change, but it was incredibly eye opening for me to experience the attitudes towards single-use plastic in the Big Apple. You can read my blog on the dryrobe website here.

6 - Arran and beyond.

I must say it was a (positive) shock to the system to land back into Glasgow and take a breath of fresh air after 4 days in New York! I was happy to be back, and the Glasgow screening, with special guests Mollie and Tegan, brought me back into my community. To then head over to Arran was even more of a breath of a fresh air, and sitting by the sea on the first evening watching the light glisten on the water was absolute bliss. Our screening in Arran was fundraising for Arran COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust.) Arran COAST have a fight on their hands - they are campaigning against the development of an enormous fish farm of the NE coast of the island which could spell disaster for the local ecosystem. Please check out and support their work if you feel able to - we need as many signatures on that petition as possible.

I also think it’s only recently that all the negative impacts of fish farming are starting to be spoken about. If you aren’t up to scratch on understanding on that area, I would highly recommend Patagonia’s film, Artifishal - you can watch it here.

One of the most wonderful parts of the LEJOG SUP expedition in 2018 was meeting people I otherwise would never have met. People like Suse and John Coon, who offered me a bed if I passed through Tarbert on the Kintyre Peninsula. I called them about 20 minutes before arriving into Tarbert to ask if the offer was still standing, and 20 minutes later they were at the slipway waiting for me. I instantly felt loved and cared for, and knew I had made two friends for life. So of all the places to take a few days off to recover this time round, Tarbert had to be the one. Interspersed with a school talk which quickly diverted from plastic pollution to vegetarianism, and 3 film screenings, we hung out, gardened, put the world to rights, watched the stars and I slept. Thank you Suse and John.

James came up to join me at Suse and John’s, mostly I think because he heard there was a hot tub and an outdoor pizza oven, and we travelled together up to Oban for a screening at SAMs, with Outdoor Edge.

Our screening in Fort William was kindly hosted by Ellis Brigham. While the film was playing, James decided he needed to go for a run - it was such a beautiful evening. He promised to be back in time for the Q and A. Afterwards, I asked where he had been.

“Up Ben Nevis” was his reply. Of course.

““Up Ben Nevis””

I count myself really fortunate to have amazing friends all over the UK, including Scotland as I went to Uni in Edinburgh. One of the great things about a tour like this, and the SUP expedition, is being able to see those people that I wouldn’t otherwise have seen. This time it included two of my closest friends, Hayley and Ferg, who live in Edinburgh. They basically said, these are the days we have off work, when you’re in Scotland let us know and we’ll come hang out. Now Scotland is pretty big, as I found out last year!

But this not being a barrier to Hayley and Ferg, they came across the country to Appin for a couple of days of downtime. We went for long walks in the drizzle. Afterwards, Hayley and I had to elevate our legs and feet because they were so sore. Afterwards James went for another run. The weather was just rubbish, so we discovered a new board game. I always think your best friends are the ones you can sit in your pjs with and not actually have to do anything - you can find fun from the smallest things, from actual conversation to dodgy board games. Thanks Hayley and Ferg.

James needed to be in Ullapool to get a ferry to the Outer Hebrides for work, so, since he was already driving that way, I accepted the offer of a lift and was dropped off in one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been. It helped that the sun was shining, but Ullapool stole my heart from the second I landed there.

It also helped that my date that night was with Noel and two of the Ullapool Sea Savers. The Ullapool Sea Savers are a group of school children who are fighting for the protection of the oceans. Noel, amongst so many other projects, has a boat with which he goes to remote beaches and removes litter from the beaches, and he works closely with the Sea Savers to help the campaigns.

On the most perfect night of the year, we went out on the boat to a remote beach and cleared up a load of rubbish that it was otherwise impossible to shift. We spoke about what the ocean meant to us, how important it is to protect, and how to engage grown-ups on that importance too. I had the best evening, and with a cup of wine in my hand as the sun set over the Summer Isles, I couldn’t have felt more of a sense of belonging.

The following day began the first bit of cycling that I can truly say I was excited for, and to make it even better, the weather was spectacular. With my tent and sleeping bag, I began the 3 day ride from Ullapool to Thurso, along a part of the North Coast 500 route. It was truly spectacular, and would form my favourite part of the whole 3 months away.

7 - North West Scotland.

When I think of North Scotland in late September, I don’t usually envisage 24 degrees and sunshine. My first day cycling from Ullapool to Scourie, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was seriously hilly, and a long day’s cycling, but I didn’t mind because I was surrounded by such beauty, and I knew that that night I could find somewhere to camp near the sea and go for a dip in the ocean.

However when I got to Scourie, my dinner plans were scuppered when I realised there was nowhere to eat, and I had no stove with me. There was, however, a local shop, where I bought a can of sweetcorn and some oatcakes. Pretty chuffed with my nutritious dinner, I soon found the perfect spot to camp. Right by the water on a little outcrop of land. I felt such peace, happiness and gratitude. Then a man arrived. He had had the same idea as me - to wild camp on this little spit of land. My initial reaction was disappointment that I didn’t have it to myself, quickly followed by joy that this man had an entire packet of caramel digestives that he was willing to share.

This man’s name was Hamish, and it was an absolute pleasure talking to him and hearing about his adventures. He was a proper cyclist, hammering out over 100 miles a day and loving it. I was even more impressed with him when he instantly accepted my invitation of a chilly dip in the sea.

The following morning I had big plans for an early start. ANOTHER puncture had other ideas, and I spent the first hour getting that sorted. A kind man offered me help, but I told him I had it under control. He reached into his car and brought out a tub of Swarfega wipes. All exposed skin was covered in oil. Thank you kind man.

Beginning already tired, getting up hills was starting to become a slog, but my goodness the scenery was something else. It felt like an age before I got to Durness, which was only just the halfway point for the day. This reminded me to exercise my endurance mindset, and as expected, things got easier after halfway.

I arrived into Tongue after a very big day cycling, legs like jelly and hungry. I found a campsite as there was nowhere else that was sheltered enough, and there was the beginnings of a storm brewing. Showered and warm, I hunkered down in my sleeping bag.

The scenery on the NC 500 route is simply incredible. I thought of myself as someone who has explored Scotland fairly thoroughly, and yet there was this massive chunk of incredible beauty that I hadn’t even touched. In true Scotland style, it was dramatic, wild and barely populated.

Arriving at Thurso the first thing I did was get in the sea; the second thing I did was get chips for dinner. I found a perfect camp spot on the top of a cliff overlooking the sea, and settled in for the night.

8 - The Islands.

The last 3 days of cycling had been more than I’d ever done before. My legs weren’t used to it, but more than that, my poor bottom wasn’t used to it. From Thurso I took the ferry to Orkney, and had plans to cycle across the island to the other ferry terminal to get to Shetland. But the pain in my backside was getting to be unbearable, and I was so worried about breaking the skin. I didn’t know what to do - it was 15 miles across the island, I couldn’t walk it, and had to get to the other side for my next ferry. I went to the nearest bus stop and asked the next bus if I could bring my bike on board. The answer was a no. HOWEVER... the bus after this one unusually had to be a coach this particular day because they were short of buses! Praise the lord, I bundled my bike into the luggage space with thanks and mumblings to the driver about my arse and undying gratitude. This meant I had some spare time in Kirkwall. I took this opportunity to explore some of Orkney’s finer attractions. Attractions for the rainy day that it had become, with copious kit and a in tow. I found a pool to have a swim and a shower, went to the gin distillery for a coffee and, the highlight of the day, Tesco to buy some clean pants and socks and a chocolate Santa. I did wonder if this made me an awful person (not the clean pants and socks - the chocolate Santa purchase). In October! I almost can’t utter the words. Chocolate Santa... in October. But happiness is a chocolate Santa when you’re bum’s too sore to sit.

I love ferries, and my ferry to Shetland did not disappoint. I love walking around and exploring to start with, and then finding a really good place to get into my sleeping bag and snooze. Maybe it’s something about the movement of the water, but this is just one of my favourite things! They also tend to do really good chips on a ferry...

I’d never been to Shetland before - the most northern part of the UK. I was not surprised, but a little disappointed, to arrive to drizzle and howling winds.

My hosts for the next few days were the lovely Jan and Pete, who run Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary. These absolute legends have dedicated their lives to looking after injured or sick wildlife on Shetland, and regularly have a couple of seal pups and otters residing with them for some R&R, until ready to face the world again. They also have the most gorgeous pair of Great Danes - Gandalf and Sedna.

Again, I felt like I’d found my tribe. Jan and I talked and talked, and for 3 days they looked after me as if I was one of their wildlife patients - with love and tenderness and a lot of food! Thank you Jan and Pete.

We held a couple of screenings to raise funds for Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary. We also discussed in length the advent of a new campaign in Shetland - against Viking Energy, which are proposing to build an enormous wind farm in Shetland. I have no issues with wind farms per se, I don’t believe that we should campaign against them based purely on how they’ll look on the horizon, but when the developers are proposing to dig up thousands and thousands of tonnes of peat bog in order to build it, I agree with the opposition to such an enormous development. Peat bogs on Shetland form an ancient and remarkable ecosystem, with several species reliant on their presence to survive. As we now know, protecting wild ecosystems is absolutely paramount in tackling the current ecological crisis. Above all else - carbon emissions, pollution... we need to protect natural land use.

My three days on Shetland were very eye-opening. I met a strong, passionate, yet challenged community. An island massively impacted by the oil and big fishing industries; incomprehensible sums of money being made by the few from these scarce and precious resources, and a resilient, passionate local community fighting for the protection of the land and sea for more than just money.

I reluctantly left Hillswick after 3 days in the care of Jan and Pete, Gandalf and Sedna. Back on the ferry to Orkney I felt exhausted, emotionally. I ate two full dinners on the way over, more to numb the pain I felt at the injustice facing our natural world, this world which sustains not only us, but the most wonderful creatures, due to the greed of a small percentage of powerful people.

Arriving into Orkney at about midnight, I tentatively cycled the couple of miles to my campsite, pitched my tent in the dark and passed out.

The next morning I had a short cycle to the other side of Orkney. My mind full or sorrow and plans, still exhausted, hungry and longing to be home, I really didn’t feel like cycling.

But, once on my bike, legs going through the motions, breathing in the fresh sunrise, catching glimpses of the ocean and talking to the cows, I felt instantly better. Cycling is pretty amazing at getting everything else to the back of your mind, and refocusing on the present, the here and now. Fortunately it wasn’t too hilly, as I don’t think I would have coped very well with that kind of here and now that morning, but there was lots to look at, lots to be grateful for, and it wasn’t long before I had a grin back on my face.

Back in Stromness, I found the best cafe in the world which rustled me up a beans on toast, coffee, apple and 2 bits of cake for the road for under a fiver. Last bit of faff getting my bike onto the ferry, I found a sofa, devoured the rest of my snacks, crawled into my sleeping bag and passed out for the short journey back to the mainland. The journey wasn’t long enough - I could have spent hours on that ferry, napping, watching the water, hiding from reality. I love that about ferries, planes, even trains sometimes. It’s a real excuse to stop. To not take any calls, update social media, have to be anywhere, anyone or anything. A reason to stop. And when surrounded by ocean, as strange as it may sound, on a noisy ferry, it felt like permission to just be.

Back on the mainland I couldn’t even contemplate cycling to Wick, my next stop. I made it to Thurso, and despite the exhaustion decided a dip in the sea was just what the doctor ordered. It didn’t disappoint, and within a few minutes of those first steps of naked feet on the sand, into the water, then submerging, everything felt ok again. My body took on that fabulous glow that only comes with diving into the cold water of the North Sea, and the giggling began. Relieved, revived. The grin back on my face, gratitude searing through my veins, I knew my purpose. This whole journey had been about trying to show more people how important the oceans are. For wellbeing, for animals, for our lives - and it’s important that I stay connected to that too.

The next couple of days were spent working my way down to Inverness via a couple of friends’ houses. Relieved to be back on my way South, it felt good to spend time with my friends - dolphin watching, eating, chilling, chatting. Thank you Kiri and Claire for looking after me.

The next stop on the film tour was at the Scottish Dolphin Centre - the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity. The second I walked in the door I knew I was with my tribe, my people. Everyone as enthusiastic about the creatures in our oceans as I am; kind, lovely, welcoming folk. We had a packed out screening, with a great Q and A session afterwards, and a couple of my friends from uni came who I hadn’t seen for such a long time. Revived and feeling loved and full of love, I spent the following day at the Scottish Dolphin Centre learning all about what they do, before heading back to the train station at Inverness, to continue my journey South.

Getting to the train station at Inverness meant the end of my cycling! I felt some relief, but also a small amount of wishing I could have cycled more, taken my time, gone back to those days of wild camping around the North West of Scotland, and done the same through Aviemore and the Cairngorms, but I was on too tight a schedule to get to Edinburgh to allow that. Still, the train journey through the Cairngorms was absolutely stunning.

Edinburgh - where I spent 5 years at university - always feels like coming home for me. I was so excited to get there, stay with friends, and for the events we had planned during those days. The first of which was a screening at Henderson’s vegetarian restaurant. More friends from uni, more wonderful conversations, and this time, the added bonus of delicious veggie food... and cake.

And finally, after almost 30 film screenings and 2 months on the road, it was time for the last stop of the tour before heading South - North Berwick - the Scottish Seabird Centre. I had been here a few months earlier giving a talk, and was thrilled that some of the audience members from that had come back to to see my film.

The tour wasn’t quite over. The cycling was done, but there were still further screenings planned further South. Cardiff - the International White Water Centre offered the perfect venue alongside their amazing adventure facilities. London at Fourpure Brewery was an incredible venue too, and I’d recommend stopping in for a pint if you’re ever in Bermondsey!

Then finally, just like that, the final venue, the final evening of the tour. Brighton.

I had never been to Brighton before. So I was completely unprepared for the crowd that greeted me. It was organised but the Brighton Seabirds - an amazing swimming group who support each other, passionate about mental health; a group of Wild Swimming Women had even travelled by coach to be there - I couldn’t believe it.

Most of the Q and A sessions after the screenings had been heartfelt, eye-opening, engaged, exciting, full of passion and hope. This one was another level. People opening up about their own mental health struggles, open discussions about how we go about engaging people in the oceans - my tribe - people who got it, understood just how important that ocean out there, right on our doorsteps in our island nation, is for our wellbeing, and just how important it is to protect it. I was absolutely blown away. Thank you so much to everyone who came to Brighton, and to the Seabirds for organising the evening - you are a truly amazing bunch.

I would like to extend an enormous thank you to everybody who came to a screening, bought a raffle ticket, engaged in a discussion. I really was completely and utterly blown away by the support offered for the Vitamin Sea Project.

Huge thank you to everyone who helped to organise a screening in your community, I really couldn’t have done it without you. Massive thanks to Lorna, who basically did all of the behind the scenes organising, and whom I know a lot of you who organised screenings were very disappointed wasn’t there with me. Thank you to Specialized for the loan of my gorgeous bike, it really was perfect, and to my sponsors Palm, dryrobe and Klean Kanteen for sponsoring screenings. Huge thanks to all the awesome folk who donated to the raffle too - Palm Equipment, dryrobe, Klean Kanteen, Leatherman, Whitby and Co, Wildtribe Heroes, KEEN, Patagonia Manchester, Fourth Element, Millican Dr Bronner, Fourpure Brewery, Henderson’s of Edinburgh, Arran COAST.

We raised almost £2500 through the raffle for the Vitamin Sea Project, which will now aim to help form those connections to the ocean.

For me, the most powerful parts of the whole tour were the discussions. Below is a summary of some of the themes we chatted about during those sessions.

Mental Health

Mental Illness

The power of community

How we can get more people to care

How to reconnect to nature, to the oceans.

Why it’s important that we reconnect - that missing link.

How connection to nature, environmentalism and mental health are connected, all interlinked, not really separate issues.

The importance of first and foremost protecting wild places, natural spaces.

Questions:

How did you just keep going, day after day?

What did you eat?

What was the most terrifying part?