After the long isolation of lockdown life, I decided to drive to Scotland for the first time to go on a little adventure. I packed my favourite Snow Peak gear in my rucksack, loaded it in my car and headed north.
I was originally working in Snow Peak Japan and moved to London about two years ago to join the UK team. I grew up just an hour outside of Tokyo, but it was next to the ocean and surrounded by nature, and I’ve enjoyed camping, hiking and cycling since I was young.
There are many ways to go camping and hiking in the UK, but for me, driving to the destination is a relaxing antidote to my busy London lifestyle.
Scotland is dotted with more than 30,000 large and small boulders and many lakes, and with such amazing natural scenery the drive alone is rejuvenating! I have always felt that Britain is incredibly rich in nature, a place where you can enjoy a sense of closeness to the environment.
On this trip, we enjoyed camping, hiking and a lakeside picnic in two national parks: Loch Lomond and the Trosaachs and Cairngorms. Loch Lomond is vast and awe-inspiring, with the purest air, and water teeming with life. I climbed Braeriach in Cairngorms, and can clearly remember walking beside the wetland falls near the summit, before finally finding the source of the River Dee, where it begins its journey to Aberdeen.
But Scotland isn't just about nature! I met locals, travellers, dog walkers, and trail runners: all nice people who were happy, kind and welcoming. Sharing a hot tea from my Titanium Mug, we connected over our mutual love of the outdoors; the compassion and kindness of the Scottish people was a great relief from the isolation of lockdown.
This trip reminded me of the magnificence of nature, and the deep joy of connecting with others.
Kenya Mitsui: Snow Peak UK, Product expert
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