A TOMBOY’S OWN ADVENTURE
‘The mountain biking is amazing here, we have this fabulous wilderness to ourselves’
Our nearest town is Blairgowrie. Some
people fi nd it a bit twee but I love it. There is a certain charm to the place: it has some great restaurants, such as the newly opened
Above: Despite being eight months pregnant, Polly is compelled to climb. Top right: In Chamonix.
was owned by a made reverend with my best friend Tash. Coming back to live in Perthshire after
FIELD
engaging and
inspiring
motivational speaker. She also continues to offer her specialist ropework skills for building repair.
www.pollymurray.com
FACTS Polly Murray is an
experiences like that felt a bit weird, especially when I was newly married, and even now, with a two-year-old in tow. But Rich and I have our own little bolthole at Kirkmichael, a lovely little log cabin with beautiful views. We’re so happy here. There’s a nice community with a great mix of people from all walks of life. I work at Glenshee one day a week, which gets me out on the hills. And we’re friends with the local gamekeeper, so we’re always doing a bit of fi shing and stalking. Best of all, my dad – my natural father – lives
nearby. He’s into country pursuits too, espe- cially the fi shing and shooting side of it. As kids he had us out shooting rabbits with a 4.10 rifl e – which he supervised of course. He was an art teacher and taught at Kirkmichael school, so everyone here knows him. He’s quite a charac- ter. People in the village are always saying, ‘Oh, you’re Cameron’s daughter!’ They love him because he is so unusual.
Little’s, which does superb fi sh, and Cargill’s bistro. The Strathardle Inn and the Log Cabin Hotel, both close to us at Kirkmichael, are very good too. The whole area really suits us and our lifestyle. We have skiing, mountain-biking and hill-walking all on our doorstep. The mountain-biking is amazing here. Most
of the trails are completely unknown so we have this fabulous wilderness to ourselves. Dunkeld has great spots for rock-climbing and there’s proper climbing to be had in all the surrounding glens – Glen Clova, Glen Prosen and Glenisla, for example. And don’t forget Braemar and all it has to offer. For an adventurous person who loves the outdoors, it’s impossible to beat this part of the world. I’m hoping my son, Fin, will
learn to ski
at Glenshee, just as I did. It’s a great place to learn because the skiing here is so hardcore. The conditions can be absolutely horrendous, so cold and so nasty, but that’s what you need for a good mountain education – it prepares you for everything. The snow here can be so icy. Learn to ski in Scotland and the Alps will be a breeze.
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