'I love the look on his face' - The mum who takes her baby on wilderness adventures
#Morag Skelton #Baby wilderness adventures #Scotland outdoors #Outdoor parenting #Sensory development #Bothy camping #Island hopping
📌 Key Takeaways
- Morag Skelton takes her baby Hamish on wilderness adventures including skiing and camping in Scotland
- She believes babies thrive in natural environments with sensory experiences that aid development
- Safety is prioritized through her professional outdoor training and risk assessment
- Morag is determined to maintain her outdoor lifestyle while raising a family
📖 Full Retelling
Experienced mountaineer Morag Skelton has been taking her nine-month-old baby Hamish on wilderness adventures across Scotland's mountains over the past several months, sharing her passion for the outdoors with her infant son through skiing expeditions, island-hopping camping trips, and stays in remote bothies. The 34-year-old outdoor instructor from Inverness, who works at Scotland's national outdoor training center Glenmore Lodge, believes that exposing babies to nature provides invaluable sensory experiences that contribute to their development. Morag's adventures include a challenging 90-minute hike to a remote bothy with six-month-old Hamish strapped to her back, as well as an island-hopping wild camping trip to the Isles of Muck and Eigg in the Inner Hebrides last September when her son was just three months old. Despite the logistical challenges of traveling with an infant—including packing eight nappies for overnight trips—Morag finds the experience incredibly rewarding, particularly witnessing her baby's reactions to the landscapes and wildlife they encounter.
🏷️ Themes
Parenting, Outdoor adventure, Nature benefits
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Original Source
'I love the look on his face' - The mum who takes her baby on wilderness adventures 6 days ago Share Save Linda Sinclair BBC Scotland Share Save Experienced mountaineer Morag Skelton has been climbing and skiing in Scotland's mountains all her adult life. But she has recently added a new challenge to her adventures - taking along her nine-month-old baby. Hamish has joined Morag on cross-country skiing expeditions, island-hopping camping trips and has even spent a night in a bothy. Morag, 34, who lives in Inverness, says that because the outdoors have always brought her so much joy it was only natural she would want to share that with her son. And she loves to see his reactions to the landscape and wildlife they encounter on their adventures. Morag is an outdoor instructor at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland's national outdoor training centre. She says Hamish is generally a happy baby - and that he's happiest being outside. The only time he complains is when he's hungry. She says: "Babies and kids thrive in the outdoors because of the endless natural sensory play - from the smell of fresh air and the pine forest to the touch of the varying textures to the sound of the trees swaying and the rivers running." Morag says there is no need to pack lots of toys on these trips because sensory learning is free. And when asked about the risks of taking a baby into the great outdoors, she says Hamish's safety takes priority over everything else. With her professional outdoor training she can anticipate any potential challenges, monitor the weather, map read and assess the risks before any trips. Morag says she personally finds it beneficial to be in nature. "I find my own mental state is at its calmest outside whereas at home I can be overloaded with the chaos of housework," she says. On one trip Morag hiked for 90 minutes to a remote bothy with six-month-old Hamish on her back in a child carrier. They were accompanied by her friend Nicola Cameron, and both women also brought their pet...
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