The Red Bulletin December 2020 (UK)

VENTURE
Travel
“The pleasure of a sea kayak is
you’re in the water rather than on
it, which provides a connection
with wildlife that’s hard to achieve
in another boat”
Will Copestake, adventurer and guide
It’s six in the morning and, on the
horizon, the sun is creeping over
a panorama of jagged mountains,
adding a shimmer to the sea. I’m awake
before my guests who, as the dawn
light brings heat to their tents, are just
starting to stir in their sleeping bags.
It’s a typical summer morning in the
Scottish Summer Isles – calm with a
gentle breeze that smells of the sea,
the slow rhythmic rumble of the surf
rolling against cliffs nearby, seals singing
melodically from the rocks.
Since 2013, I’ve pursued adventures
around the world, both personal and
through leading others – from a yearlong
journey kayaking, cycling and
climbing through Scotland to a 1,000km
expedition kayaking through deepest
Patagonia. But it’s the Summer Isles
I call home. As an outdoor activity
provider running our company Kayak
Summer Isles, it’s my job and pleasure
to encourage venturing off the beaten
track and pausing there. We deliver the
confidence and skills to enjoy what’s
around us while visiting remote places
and reconnecting with the natural world.
My day is mostly spent teaching then
leading along natural archways, caves,
cliffs and wild sandy beaches amid this
stunning landscape.
At my side, my mocha pot gurgles
on a stove as I prepare my morning
‘guide coffee’. I was first introduced to it
by a tutor at university, who explained
that the idea wasn’t the brew itself but
allowing yourself a small slice of time
before the day begins. Time to think, to
plan, to gain a sense of calm and place.
It’s a practice that goes hand in hand
with the rising concept of ‘slow tourism’,
the counterpart to ‘tick-list’ landmark
bagging. Drinking a coffee quickly fills
the need, but when you pause to enjoy it,
it becomes so much more. There is a
drive – partially fuelled by social media
– in the travel industry at the moment
to ‘experience’ as much as possible in
a short amount of time. It’s a quick way
to see a lot of great things, and fits in
with the busy lives many of us lead.
But fast travel has huge limitations, too.
Few who do it allow the time to truly
experience the communities, landscapes
and wonders they fly past en route to the
next attraction. Travel, after all, is about
the journey as much as the destination.
During the lockdowns earlier this year,
it was inspiring to see so many of our
neighbours discover the local gems that
have been seldom explored. Encouraged
by necessity to explore nearer to home,
many have learnt more about their
backyard and their own personal
interests in these short months than in
decades of living here. Personally, I’ve
never been at risk of taking the stunning
scenery of the Summer Isles for granted,
as I regularly get to see the expressions
of amazement on my guests’ faces.
Water man: the writer, Will Copestake, knows the Summer Isles like the back of his hand
WILLIAM COPESTAKE
76 THE RED BULLETIN