Wild weekend 2 hours from Glasgow
We love to leave the city! Seeing the tall buildings become smaller as we fly out on the motorway. Most people living in Glasgow love the close connection to Loch Lomond and the west coast. That's where most people go when it's a bank holiday or a special weekend. It is understandable considering the beauty of the place, but to be honest: there are a lot of beautiful places in Scotland, and in our opinion - the more of it we can have to ourselves, the better it gets. That is why we turned south when everybody was heading north. This post is about our wild camp in Galloway Forest Park, at the banks of Loch Doon and how we cooked a wonderful chicken curry on the fire!
Locating the perfect Loch Doon wild camp
After less than two hours, we were out of the car, walking towards our weekend home. Aiming for a small point on the shore of Loch Doon where we would pitch our tents. The map said we would walk on a narrow path, but to be honest, that path must have disappeared years ago. The walk in turned into a bit of a fight, scrambling though swampy marshland. Although the walk was not the best, the views were increasingly improving, the weather was warm, about 20 degrees, and the we had great relief when we finally found a large open space for our tents to settle on.
Hiking along Loch Doon to the mysterious Cat Rock
A wild camp is never really complete without a hike, so we decided after a look at the map to put our faith in the non existing path and do a loop that would take us back along the shore and past a cultural marking on the map called: The Cat Rock! We were all excited about the rock, imagining everything from the sphinx, big paw marks and cat celebrating rituals. Unfortunately none of these came to light, as we could not find the stone at all. Although the path couldn't be found, the weather was nice and the breeze kept the midges away.
Wild Cooking on a fire
Wild cooking is time consuming, but fun and it always tastes good. We're not quite sure if that's due to the hard work that goes in to it, or the amount of butter. One of our favourite outdoor meals is a curry. It's a great option and it's a good match if you catch fish. This time we brought a grilled chicken - more handy than raw meat, but just as tasty. One of the reasons we love wild cooking is the time it takes to prepare. First you have to collect the wood, build the fire and prepare the ingredients. It can take two hours getting ready to start cooking.
Outdoor equipment:
1 Frying pan
1 Billycan (a lightweight cooking pot)
Knife, cutlery, plates
Recipe: Chicken curry cooked on a fire
1 red bell pepper
1 carrot
1 sweet potato
3 garlic cloves
2 chillies
3 champignon mushrooms
3 spring onions
Fresh coriander
1 jar of curry sauce or paste
Salt
1 grilled chicken. (use as much as you like and save the rest for tomorrow) Add the meat at the end of cooking, not to make the pan too full.
Rice (boil separately)
Lime for serving
Check out the Let's Go Slow video to see the ideal cooking temperature:
Cooking a chicken curry on fire. Make sure you have lots of embers to cook on.
Mindful cooking
Cooking with fire is time-consuming, but rewarding and the slow process makes it a mindful experience. You have to be gentle not to cut yourself, chopping on a little plate instead of a kitchen surface. The fire needs to be fed in a clever way; not making it too hot without letting it die. We love cooking outdoors on a fire and it is a big part of our slow adventures.
Creating space for slow adventures in your daily life
If you live in a city, leaving home can feel difficult, but often you can find places like Loch Doon just a few hours away. Look for the opportunities and grab them, pack your bag and if you're not up for a long hike: cook a slow dinner on the fire - it will make the most of your day!
Late conversations around the camp fire.
