Northwest Highlands Geopark Logo
Scourie Bay
[58.356079369756095, -5.168463245125255]
Mandy Haggith

The following poem (and pieces of poem-ish writing) was written using the words and phrases of project participants in meetings and interviews, some online, some in person, in response to questions about their experiences of swimming, paddling and sailing around the coast of the northwest Highland Geopark area (i.e. the north coast and west coast…


surrounded by water

and in it

in the womb

between worlds

I feel like I’ve come home

clarity of vision

focused attention

clarity of thought

I feel the dots join up

in this private

freeing space

in the line

between sky and sea

I feel alive

in the beautiful movement

of the surface

in waves

I feel fear, euphoria, calm

and when I 

get out

oh when I get 

out

I feel reborn


(with thanks to Sheilah Cunningham)