The Determined Runner

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Aviemore, Scotland
The Determined Runner

Trail and parkrun runner based in Scotland. After major surgery, running became about gratitude, consistency, and enjoying the moment.

Sharing honest running stories, photography, and reflections from the trail and Saturday mornings that keep me moving.

08/11/2026

**An unexpected encounter with ORCAS! 🐋**

After ticking off Thurso parkrun yesterday, I headed off to photograph Keiss Castle (you’ll see those pictures in the coming days).

On returning to the car, a group of very excited people turned up with cameras and told me that orcas were expected to appear in the area.

Well, that wasn’t something I was going to miss!

Luckily, I’d brought my camera gear with me, so I joined everyone else and waited to see if we could spot them.

And sure enough, we were treated to an incredible sight as a pod of orcas made their way through the water.

An entirely unexpected highlight of the trip to Caithness, and a reminder that sometimes the best experiences are the ones you haven’t planned!

🐋📸

Caithness & Moray Firth Cetacean Sightings

07/11/2026

Thurso parkrun – The UK’s most northerly mainland parkrun! 🏃‍♂️

A 6am start was required to tick this one off the list! Another parkrun completed and one closer to running all of the Scottish parkruns.

A flat course, with three small laps in the middle, running alongside the river, crossing one bridge, heading towards the next and repeating. All on tarmac apart from one wooden bridge. Not sure exactly how many runners today, but I’d guess around 60.

A great little parkrun and another one ticked off in the far north of Scotland!

Now it’s time to find a coastal castle and get the camera out. 📸🏰

Thurso parkrun parkrun UK

31/10/2026

Strathclyde parkrun – another Scottish parkrun ticked off! 🏃‍♂️

A last-minute change of mind today after realising we were going to be far too early for our planned parkrun! Strathclyde was a little further away, so that became the new destination.

A lovely, flat course, heading out and back along the tarmac paths. Really enjoyed the views across the loch and watching all the rowers out on the water.

The weather was spot on and it was great to bump into Neil, who is also working his way through all of the Scottish parkruns. Always good to meet a fellow parkrun explorer! 😀

Another one in the bag!

Strathclyde parkrun

24/10/2026

Another N ticked off the Parkrun Alphabet! 🏃‍♂️✅

Northwich parkrun completed, another letter closer to finishing another alphabet challenge. And another compass name… if you know, you know! 🧭😉

A field of 377 runners and we just about beat the rain before it got any worse! 🌧️

Not a Scottish parkrun this time, but the alphabet challenge is taking me further afield again. Always good to explore somewhere new and add another venue to the list!

📍 Northwich parkrun

17/10/2026

Another Q ticked off in the Parkrun Alphabet Challenge! 🇬🇧🏃‍♂️

The letters are getting further away, and this time it was off to Belfast for Queen’s Belfast parkrun — my first ever visit to Northern Ireland!

A great trip and we were super lucky with the weather. A bit chilly, but sunshine and no wind made for ideal running conditions. ☀️

A real highlight was meeting up with Soupy, who’s been following my adventures for a long time. He showed us some of the sights and gave us some great recommendations for places to eat and drink. Always brilliant to meet people through running and social media!

A fantastic weekend exploring Belfast, another parkrun added to the list, and plenty more adventures to come as the alphabet challenge continues.

And one final discovery from the trip… I’m now a fan of soda bread! 😋

Queen's parkrun, Belfast

12/10/2026

An early start to catch the sunrise and get a run in along the trail from Ryvoan towards Nethy.

The sunrise was worth the early start, and it was good to get back out on this trail and see how things are looking following the fires.

One noticeable change is the improvement to the path before you reach the bothy, which used to be quite rocky underfoot. There’s still plenty of evidence of the fire, but it’s encouraging to see the landscape will recover. We’re lucky to have such a fantastic area on our doorstep, and it’ll be good to see how it changes over the coming months and years.

10/10/2026

Another Scottish parkrun ticked off! 🏃‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Broughty Ferry parkrun was today’s choice, thanks to it having the best weather forecast! A fairly flat course along the promenade, although it was a bit breezy on the return leg. Nothing too ridiculous, though! 🌬️

I put in a concerted effort, with plenty of heavy breathing along the way, and was rewarded with a 24:12 finish — a quick time for me! 💪

Great to see a familiar face in Russ, too. It’s always good catching up with fellow parkrun tourists! 😀

Another one added to the Scottish parkrun tally. Where to next? 🤔

Broughty Ferry Esplanade parkrun

05/10/2026

Back on the trails to the Green Lochan for the first time since the wildfires. 🌲🔥

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but thankfully the damage wasn’t as bad as I had feared. The main path is now wider, and there is certainly plenty of evidence of the fire along the route, but there are still some beautiful sections of woodland and the Green Lochan itself looks as stunning as ever, if not a little emptier due to it being a water source for putting out the fire.

It was great to be back out on these trails again. 🏃‍♂️

I’m really looking forward to the remaining section from Ryvoan Bothy to Nethy reopening and being able to explore the full route once again.

Hopefully, over time, the forest will recover and we’ll see new growth returning to the areas affected by the fire. 🌲

Have you been back to the trails since the wildfires?

03/10/2026

Mount Stuart parkrun 🏃‍♂️🌳⛴️

Alarm set for 3:23am this morning to make the journey to the Isle of Bute via ferry! Thankfully, I managed to get a lift on the island to and from the parkrun thanks to some very friendly volunteers — much appreciated! 🙌

It was a cold start with a shower just before the run, but thankfully it stopped in time and the sun even came out. ☀️

The parkrun is set in the gorgeous grounds of Mount Stuart House, with a picturesque, undulating course that definitely deserves trail shoes. There’s a lovely big downhill to start with… but as they say, if you go down, you know what’s coming next! 😅

Another fantastic parkrun adventure and definitely one for the list if you’re visiting the Isle of Bute.

Mount Stuart parkrun

26/09/2026

Another early start this morning, this time heading to Falkirk parkrun! 🏃‍♂️

A lovely course on hard-packed trails and tarmac, with 98m of ascent, most of which comes courtesy of the aptly named Heartbreak Hill! 🥵⛰️

The sun even made an appearance during the run, making it a great morning to be out. ☀️

Now enjoying a well-earned pot of tea in Callendar House. The perfect way to finish another parkrun adventure! 🫖☕

Falkirk parkrun

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