a place to write
I first started blogging into 2013, which feels like a lifetime ago now. I was blogging about property as I was writing about property and interiors as a journalist at that time, and then two years later I developed the blog further (read: a talented website designer redesigned it) to include more posts about interior design and architecture.
Naturally, my interests evolved over the years. We moved from Edinburgh to East Lothian in 2018 and spent more time walking along this coastline - and visiting places further afield too. I felt that the blog needed to reflect this shift, so rather than interiors and property content I started to write about our walks, these landscapes and ever-shifting seascapes, and the adventures shared with our boys (wirehaired dachshunds) Harris, on the left below, and Bracken, on the right - as featured on The World According To Harris.
Then, in 2023, our lives changed. Harris left us in October 2023 after a tough, devastating illness, and then, early last year, in April 2024, we lost our boy Bracken following a longer term, progressive illness that we only discovered in January.
I stopped blogging after Harris passed. My words left me. An unexpected loss in the wake of a profound loss. It’s the first time in my life where words simply… escaped me.
I’ve missed writing, and I’ve felt this clearly over recent months. While I write on Instagram, that’s never quite the same as longer form content. I miss sharing our walks and our simple adventures. I miss writing about the importance of these natural places in resetting us, nourishing us physically and also mentally - perhaps especially mentally. I miss words, and having a space of my own. Instagram is a great place to share walks and moments and reflections, but sometimes you just need a quiet place.
All of this has led me here, to this blog, grounding places. It’s a space to share our walks and moments from life on the coast, and also our journeys around Scotland (and beyond) as we adventure further afield with Raf (also a wirehaired dachshund, and related to Harris and Bracken). I’m longing for some new adventures.
And I’m interested to see how this space might evolve in time. The journalist part of me wants to speak to other people about their grounded places; about what this means to them and how they are nourished by time spent outdoors. About the connection between the natural world and mental health. Maybe that’s an idea for further down the line.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy spending some time here. Do get in touch if you have any questions or simply want to say hello.
~ Fiona
BEHIND THE BLOG
Fiona Reid
I’ve spent my career working as a journalist in newspapers and magazines, writing primarily about design, property and interiors, and more recently as a copywriter and content creator. While I enjoy words, I enjoy photos more. If I could (dream life scenario coming up), I’d like to live some place remote, on the coast in Scotland, where I could walk on the shore every day, taking far too many photos of rocks, and then return to my desk with a view to the sea. Maybe one day. Until then, you’ll find me exploring the coastal paths of East Lothian (and beyond) with this lad, Raf, and sharing these simple adventures here.
get in touch
We’re always open to collaborations. If you have an idea in mind, drop me a message.