WHAT does the beach mean to you? You would think, considering the range of people and beaches across Scotland, that if you asked hundreds of folk you would get hundreds of different answers.
But when lan Brighouse posed the question to complete strangers in his 12-year quest across the country's beaches, he found very similar themes running through the answers.
Precious memories of childhood is by far the top response but for many it's also escape, freedom, peace, inspiration and a place to clear your head.
"Childhood is the number one answer to the question," says lan. "I'm 62, and I think it's because lot of our generation were taken to places of natural beauty like Scotland and Cornwall when they were young."
Now they take their children and grandchildren back to create new memories.
It was 12 years ago that lan, who lives next to a beach in Cornwall, ditched his work in IT, and sold his smart car, downsizing to "an old banger" in order to finance a year exploring the beaches near his home. He asked the people he met with the same question and filmed their responses for his website, manonabeach.com. "I just got up every morning and did it. I noticed that people are happier on a beach and I wanted to know why."
The simple premise definitely struck a chord as the website proved so popular it has funded his continued beach pilgrimage around Britain, with 17 sections, five of them focussing on Scotland, and more than 1,000 interviews now featured on the site. Scotland, along with Cornwall and Norfolk, are always the most popular sections. "They get 10 times the viewing figures of the rest of the country," says lan.
The best of his vast experiences have now been put together in a new book, The British Beach Guide, which includes 39 Scottish beaches, with pictures, maps, descriptions of the beaches and quotes from those he has interviewed.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer
