About Islandeering
Welcome to Islandeering – where we believe that Britain’s wild and blue spaces are the perfect antidote to modern life. Whether it’s rugged coastlines, forgotten islands, hidden mountain streams, or the often-overlooked charm of urban walkways and waterways, we’ve got the stories, guides, and inspiration to fuel your next adventure. Our mission? To help you explore the UK’s most extraordinary places – from the iconic to the obscure – and uncover the magic lurking in those quiet corners that everyone else seems to have forgotten.
How It All Began
It all started with a slightly bonkers idea on a sea kayaking trip to the Isles of Scilly. One minute we were paddling along, the next, the obsession had taken hold. “How many islands can we actually circumnavigate in the UK?” Over 600 islands later, what began as a hobby spiralled into a full-blown adventure, capturing landscapes, wildlife, swims, paddles and beautiful paths. This passion to explore hidden gems drove us to write guidebooks like Islandeering, which bagged the Guidebook of the Year Award from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, and Island Bagging England and Wales. We’re still hooked on sharing unique walks, paddles, and swims – because, honestly, there’s nothing better than a lesser-trodden trail.
My Journey
My love for the outdoors was always there – the untamed spaces, windswept coasts, and trails leading to who-knows-where. But life (as it does) led me elsewhere – from research science to working with the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office, and the National Trust. And while these roles deepened my appreciation for landscapes and heritage, they often pulled me away from the wild places that truly fed my soul.
After navigating a few career detours, I found myself yearning for those hidden trails and remote corners that had always felt like home. So, I ditched corporate life and dove headfirst into something I loved more – the wild spaces of Britain. I realised that my passion for exploration wasn’t just a hobby; it was what I was meant to do. And with that clarity, I turned my love for adventure into a full-time gig as an author and outdoor writer.
The Power of Blue Spaces
There’s something almost magical about being near water – a feeling that’s as scientifically proven as it is instinctive. Whether it’s the calm of a lakeside stroll or the bracing joy of a coastal breeze, these blue spaces have a way of grounding us. That’s why every adventure we feature at Islandeering is rooted in the revitalising energy of the UK’s rivers, lakes, coastlines, canals and islands. We’re here to share the freedom, clarity, and simple pleasure that comes from exploring these spaces – whether you’re paddling a hidden waterway or wandering along a deserted shore.
What’s Next
We’re no longer just about islands – we’ve expanded our scope to explore all of Britain’s blue spaces, from National Nature Reserves and World Heritage Sites to Marine Protected Areas. From exhilarating walks and serene swims to paddleboarding in breathtaking locations, Islandeering keeps growing with fresh routes and stories from the UK’s most remote and beautiful places. We’ve even launched a new series of best-selling books, Paddleboarding South West England: 100 Places to SUP, Canoe and Kayak and Paddleboarding Wales: 100 Places to SUP, Canoe and Kayak.
Our Passion for Conservation
At the heart of Islandeering is our commitment to preserving the wild places we love. Whether it’s through sustainability work, conservation initiatives, or simply leading by example, we believe responsible exploration is key to ensuring these landscapes remain as stunning for future generations as they are for us today. From leading group walks to promoting environmental stewardship, we’re all about connecting people with nature while making sure it’s looked after.
Join Us
We’re Lisa and Charlie – outdoor obsessives, guidebook authors, and passionate advocates for exploring the UK’s wild and blue spaces. Lisa is Chair of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a Director of British Nordic Walking, and an Ordnance Survey GetOutside Champion. Charlie is a sustainability expert and ultra-runner with a knack for pushing limits in both adventure and helping corporates achieve their best. We invite you to join us on our journeys and share your own adventures – because life is just better with a bit of mud on your boots and wind in your hair.
Now, enough from us – time to grab your boots, get out there, and find your next adventure.
Lisa and Charlie
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Wonderful and inspiring. Please put me on your mailing list. I will write again in a few weeks, and will follow up on my interest.
Very best,
Jonathan
Thank you for your message Jonathan and yes I will do.
Have you ever been to the Faroe Islands? I went last year and they have some of the most stunning scenery imaginable.
I’d love to go – we were going to go along to their trail running festival this year and explore more but then decided to spend more time on our own islands. The Faroes are definitely on my list though.
Found you through the BBC article. Fantastic idea, surely the smiles per £ must be well on your side. Hope we share a pot of coffee one day on the far side of who knows where. You are an inspiration! Jim.
Hi James – thanks so much for your message. Hoping to meet a whole lot more islandeers out there now – particularly coffee drinking ones. I shall look out for you. Lisa
Do you know “Some Lovely Islands” by Leslie Thomas? A kindred spirit to be sure. I deliberately didn’t finish reading it so there would always be more.
A favourite island experience: taking the tourist boat to Inner Farne you get an hour on the island of which the last 5 minutes can be alone because everyone else needs to make sure of getting back. Then there was the heart centre glow that only comes with completion and wholeness.
Thank you for the book recommendation Patrick. Just ordered it!
I love Inner Farne too. I was lucky that the National Trust allowed me on the island before the main boats arrived to photograph the wildlife relatively undisturbed. So I share that incredible experience of nature with you. Interesting that you talk of completion and wholeness too. That’s what I find so compelling here. Completing the circle and all that it entails.
Alas, some of us are also ‘anoraks’… .Portland Dorset , not an island …. consider Kent, many islands no longer such as Thanet and Oxney…… don’t forget islands on Rivers and Lakes …. when does a sea stack become and island, would you visit Goodwin. I hope I have extended your bucket list and always happy to share experiences from visits ..
Hey fellow island anorak…great to meet you. Well I have been trying not to get into the definition of an island – generally if it feels like an island it’s good enough for me. Surrounded by salt water or freshwater, joined by bridge, tombolo or causeway, an ex-island now part of the mainland, a speck of rock in the middle of the sea. I don’t really mind. Would love to hear more of your travels though – please do keep in contact. Lisa
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Thanks for your feedback Gerald. This is all self-funded and I am doing my best.
I was fascinated to discover your identification of a basic pyschological desire to ‘conquer’ islands by circumnavigating them, in much the same way that people feel compelled to climb mountains. When I reflected on my choice of holiday destinations over many years, I realised that almost unknowingly I was picking islands ( which I felt I could fully embrace) and in every case had the compulsion to reach the highest point.
As a boy of 14 I had this real urge to run away from home ( not that it was an unhappy childhood) and live and survive on Toll’s island off the coast of St. Marys in the Isles of Scilly, hundreds of miles from my home town. I bought some maps and constantly studied and plotted a way of achieving this. Of course it never happened, but just a few years ago ( and very many further on from this dream) I visited the Scillies and nothing would stop me wading across the water to actually step foot on this small rocky outpost. I actually think I was originally inspired watching a James Mason film called A Touch of Larceny where he ‘survived’ on an island, alone, for several weeks. Very interesting psychology, that appeals strongly to some , who wouldn’t want to ‘own’ an island ?
Now, I must buy your book!
Thank you for your message Ben. I’m still trying to get to the bottom of my island compulsion and find a way of better articulating it.
I’m not sure I would personally use the word ‘conquer’ – I think that may have been newspaper magic. Much like I wouldn’t use it when climbing a mountain as I rather feel that the mountain dictates whether it is possible to reach the summit or not. Much is the same with islands where weather, tide, topography, ground cover and other natural factors have meant that I haven’t been able to make the full circuit in some cases.
Certainly the wish and curiosity to complete the circuit is the same in me as to get to the top of a mountain.
It is also fascinating to hear ‘run away’. At the moment I have spent a few weeks behind my desk and am desperate to get back out there but I am not thinking of coastline – I am desperate to get to an island. Loved your story of plotting your escape as a child. The process you went through is exactly how I find new islands!! Even now that I have completed almost 150 islands, I love the thrill of getting to places like Toll and if there was a further outcrop beyond it I’d want to get there too. It’s a bit like reaching a false summit, of course you won’t stop there you’ll go on until you reach the top.
I will continue to analyse the psychology of this – but for now am content with the description that a few have bestowed on me by saying ‘you must be bonkers’.
Thank you for buying the book and I hope that it gives you some more ideas for island escapes.
Best wishes
Lisa
I came to your blog via Alastair Humphreys, when I read that you had a ‘free-range childhood, I knew we were kindred spirits. I too had a free-range childhood wandering the countryside and seaside, I just loved and still do, my freedom and the great outdoors. A couple of years ago after coming back from a trip to Oz, I too, decided that we have so much beauty in Blighty and needed to explore it. I too was drawn to islands we have, but never knew, until reading your blog, that there were so many. I love the countryside as well as the sea, I grew up in North Devon and learnt to swim in the sea by county the rhythm of the waves so I could get a good swim on, not easy in the Atlantic.
I will leave this now to read to purchase your book and look forward to following your adventure with you.
Happy islandeering 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Islands are …. just extraordinary. For me it is probably the sea all around them that makes them special.
I land on them or view them with awe. I too “collect” them (or them me?) and have been lucky enough to view/land on many …the Scillies, the Isle of Wight, Fair Isle, Hirta, some of the Orkneys & Shetlands plus lots of the Western Isles… my favourites … best of all (so far) I think are The Shiants.
Thought I was doing OK but your site has made me realise I have hardly scratched the surface! Keep on keeping on…