The Alba Cross expedition took us on a 6 week human powered journey from the West to the East of Scotland. Starting just North of Ullapool (Nellie’s hometown) down through Skye, across the Cairngorms, and over to Stonehaven (Ailsa’s hometown). We swam, cycled, kayaked, ran and walked a total of 500 miles. The project grew from a desire to feel more connected to the people who own or who have significant influence on the way Scottish landscapes are shaped in Scotland. We wanted to use the mode of filmmaking, photography and writing as a way to tell stories of the events and people who shaped our experience and help inspire other journeys into nature.
We covered most of our journey on our bikes, with Shay (chief adventure filmmaker) bunny-hopping us in the van, which became an extension of our home (our home being a tent),for the next 6 weeks. Occasionally, we walked, ran and swam to break up the cycling and we had vicariously planned a kayak across from Skye to Mallaig: A crossing which proved to be exceptionally rough, and, with the swell looking somewhat menacing, we made the logical decision to opt for the ferry!
We had nothing and everything at the same time - a notion which resonates with us as during The Alba Cross we stripped it all back: We had only what we needed to be on the road (and sometimes a lack of essentials). Yet what we had was a sense of purpose, and nature followed us along without asking questions; a quiet observer.
Click on the photos below to see what we got up to on each leg of the journey!
Stage 1 - Ardmair to Isle Martin
Stage 2 - Ullapool to Beinn Eighe
Stage 3 - Beinn Eighe - Skye
Stage 4 - Ardvasar to Mallaig
Stage 5 - Mallaig to Fort William
Stage 6 - Lairig Ghru (Aviemore to Braemar)
Stage 7 - Free Movement Festival (Detour to Glenlivet)
Stage 8 - The last leg! Aboyne to Stonehaven
Finally - A massive thanks to the team and sponsors who made this adventure possible!
People were the centre of our project from the group of near strangers we strung together that became a close-knit team with forever memories… to the wide range of folk we had the pleasure of interviewing and chatting to along the way.
Land was the purpose of debate and our ties to nature helped us navigate discussions which we thought were positive. Each landowner we spoke to had a vision for regeneration, all in a slightly different way - which depended on the current way the land worked, be it a sporting estate, a community development, or a national trust site. It was great to see people at the heart of it all, standing up for what they believe is best - and we were able to draw similarities from each site.
Adventure hugged us the whole way and we had the pleasure of mostly terrific weather from late August through to October - we were truly chasing the last of the summer sun before the temperatures dropped. This adventure let us speak fluidly without boundaries - and we were challenged with the thoughts of accessibility and diversity in the outdoors - and ultimately were filled with gratitude that we all had the chance to complete this project and were free of commitments to take this extended time in nature.