"You have to be careful," warns Phil Wheeler, host at Preseli Hills Cottages, as we huddle over mugs of tea and an OS map tracing the route of the Golden Road, a seven-mile ramble along the spine of the hills. "I was up there the other day and I couldn't see further ahead than this in the fog," he says, his hand a few inches in front of his face. "Lots of the landscape features look alike, which can make navigation tricky. But there's a special atmosphere up there. You feel things." As an ex-military mountain guide and a competitor in the Preseli Beast fell-running race, he's not a man to exaggerate.
The next morning dawns grey and sunless. A red kite whistles as it circles above the tawny, heather-blackened moor, casting a lonely shadow as I pick my way from the trailhead to Foel Eryr ('eagle's peak'). The second-highest peak in the Preseli Hills at 468 metres, its modest summit is topped by a Bronze Age burial cairn. When it's clear, you can see for miles - but today drizzle has blotted out the view entirely.
The spectral mist seems almost suited to the Preseli Hills. Tors litter the landscape like long-buried dragons. And the crags appear less like hills and more like the ghosts of them - vanishing, reappearing, suddenly creeping up. All is silent but for the wind howling around the ragged heights and my own muffled curse as I step into a bog. There's nobody else here but I have the eerie sense of being watched.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW I GOT THE SHOT
JONATHAN GREGSON EXPLAINS HOW HE SECURED A CLOSE-UP IMAGE OF AN AFRICAN ELEPHANT FOR OUR JAN/FEB 2025 ISSUE
THE STATE OF ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL
FOR DISABLED PEOPLE, TR AVEL CAN PRESENT M ANY CHALLENGES, SUCH A S LOST WHEELCHAIRS AND POORLY TR AINED STAFF — BUT A NEW GOVERNMENT TA SK FORCE OFFERS HOPE.
BREAKING THE ICE
LIFE ALONG THE WEST COAST OF GREENLAND, HIGH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, CONTINUES MUCH AS IT HAS FOR CENTURIES, WITH THE NATURAL WORLD AND A RESPECT FOR HERITAGE SETTING THE RHYTHM DURING THE LONG, FROZEN WINTERS
THE WORLD'S BEST TRAIN TRIPS
Glimpses of local life caught through the window, moments of connection with your fellow passengers, the chance to slow down and watch landscapes unfold with the miles - train journeys are the most memorable way of getting from A to B. From luxury heritage routes to regular services passing through extraordinary scenery, here's our pick of the best
HEAVEN &EARTH
IN PORTUGAL'S WILD NORTHERN BORDERLANDS, SURVIVAL AND SPIRITUALITY GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE CHANGING SEASONS, AS THEY HAVE FOR MILLENNIA. A ROAD TRIP THROUGH ITS REMOTE REACHES UNCOVERS PAGAN FESTIVALS, AGE-OLD CRAFTS AND ROMAN RELICS IN THE COUNTRY'S ONLY NATIONAL PARK, PENEDA-GERÊS
HONG KONG
It may be best known for its skyscrapers and shopping, but Hong Kong offers untold outdoor activities, from coastal kayaking and mountain hikes to quiet bike rides and unusual food tours
Joe Boyd
A GLIMPSE OF AN ALBANIAN FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, CAUGHT ILLICITLY ON FILM, TRANSPORTS THE MUSIC PRODUCER INTO A LIFE LED BY ANCIENT RHYTHMS
Passion project
AS THE PROMISE OF SPRING BRINGS RENEWED VIGOUR, WE TURN TO STORIES OF LIFELONG OBSESSIONS AND POWERFUL LABOURS OF LOVE
Lighthouse solitude
PLAY CASTAWAY ON AN ITALIAN ISLAND, WHERE YOU CAN SPOT WHALES FROM A STYLISH TUSCAN RETREAT SET IN A WORKING LIGHTHOUSE
IBARAKI Secret lives & sacred mountains
From ancient shrines and mountain trails to cooking classes with charismatic locals, travelling through Ibaraki gives adventurous visitors an authentic taste of Japan.
