About me (& Dougal)
I have been caravanning since I was knee-high to a jockey wheel, originally in a 1969 Thomson Glenmore. Nowadays you’ll find me with Dougal, my trusty dog, living the dream in a variety of leisure vehicles from budget camper vans to our own Airstream travel trailer or our 50 year old vintage Sprite caravan. We tour the length and breadth of Europe on a year-round basis, but the emphasis is very much on Scotland and the beautiful Western Isles.
YouTube is my strongest platform, and I have been working hard to build one of the largest and most engaged audiences in the sector. In April 2020, the channel passed the 50,000 subscriber mark and had enjoyed over 10 million views.
In all that I do, from making videos to writing copy, I aim to inspire, entertain, and inform. Nothing is disingenuous and the content is real. More and more companies are realising the value in real content over sugar-coated marketing as it is far more engaging and credible.
Engaging with the audience is crucial. This has led me to adopt a gentle, inspirational, and encouraging style. My authority comes from experience, and the message is simple: If I can do it, you probably can, too. The feedback I have received over the years has been humbling. From a GP wanting to prescribe my videos to patients with depression, to nervous solo travellers taking the plunge and setting off with a caravan on their first touring adventure—it never ceases to astonish me how one man and his dog can have such a profound effect on so many people. It is something I will never take for granted.
In 2002 I took a year out and travelled the world, mostly in a caravan or motorhome. Since then, I lived for many years on the road, reaping the rewards and facing the many challenges that such an itinerant lifestyle brings. In 2019, after an eight year stint of full-time touring, I settled back into a house. In January 2020 I realised my dream of moving to the Outer Hebrides, where Dougal and I now live a simple and very, very happy life.
Minimalism, Living Simply, and Living with Intention are facets of life that I embrace and promote. What I strive to show is that Living Simply need not mean going without comforts and luxuries. While I salute those who travel the world surviving from the contents of one rucksack, that is not for me. Sofa-surfing and shared accommodation is not my thing. I prefer the security and comfort of home. It’s just that my home often has wheels.
I hope you enjoy watching the videos and reading the blog posts. You’ll quickly get a feel of what life is like for me and for Dougal.
Thanks for tuning in!
Forthcoming events…
You can catch up with me at the following events and Live Stream broadcasts.
Please check back as new dates and events are frequently added.
Summer/Autumn 2020
Nothing planned at the moment. Please check back soon!
Brands I work with…
One of the strongest leisure vehicle brands in Europe, I work with Adria both in the UK and in Slovenia on a regular basis. Our projects together normally focus on their more cutting edge products, examples being a caravan on skis in the Arctic Circle, a stylish Scandinavian caravan at Lake Bled, or a bright orange camper van in the islands of Scotland.
Airstream relaunched the brand in the UK in the autumn of 2017. Having been widely recognised as an enthusiastic and active ‘Airstreamer’ for over 10 years, I have been commissioned to produce written and video content for Airstream in both the UK and in the USA.
My relationship with one of the UK’s largest touring organisations goes back well over 20 years. I produce mainly written and photographic content for the Club’s Magazine, in addition to bringing my judging services, product knowledge, and comprehensive on-site experience to its three major competitions: Towcar of the Year, Caravan Design Awards, and Camper Van and Motor Caravan Design Awards.
Another long-standing working relationship, I enjoy working with The Friendly Club on written and photographic content in relation to caravanning and tent camping, with or without a motorcycle.
One of the largest caravan and motorhome manufacturers in Europe, the Erwin Hymer Group has worked with me on multiple occasions to promote and highlight some of its smaller more niche brands. I’ve helped launch new brands to the UK such as Etrusco, and strengthen existing brands such as Carado and Bürstner.