Diaries of donegal

Dreaming of escape on Ireland’s far-flung islands, David Bradford finds the reality of remoteness not quite as simple as it seems

Moments enjoyed, lessons learned, handy advice, weird stuff that happened: welcome to the little bits and pieces that don’t make big stories, but do make all the difference.

Now we’re in the midst of autumn, with winter a whisker away, it’s good to make plans and look forward to the return of sunny days in spring. We’re big fans of Eastbourne on the south coast, which is

Think of the Cote d’Azur and you think of refined opulence; F Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night, Brigitte Bardot, Cannes Film Festival; glitz, glamour. The reality if you actually drive there is v

Go car-free and take the train and bus from the city to some of the Scottish coast’s most beautiful beaches

The next puddle is a big one. The competitor in front gives it a good go but decides to bail halfway through. His feet plunge into the muddy water as he hears me chaining up my gears behind him. He qu