There’s something about Aviemore that always feels calming.
This week, I’ve had the chance to soak in everything this place offers.
I’ve been golfing on the Spey Valley course in the soft light of the evening, hiking through the Cairngorms, and even getting back onto a mountain bike for the first time in a while.
It’s been one of those weeks where time seems to slow down, and I can feel the stillness of the mountains sinking into my bones.
I’ve spent the last few evenings golfing with a good mate, Jack, the two of us out on the Spey Valley course as the sun sets behind the hills.
There’s a peacefulness in those moments that’s hard to describe.
There’s the quiet of the evening, the rich colours of the sky, and the simple act of hitting a golf ball against the backdrop of such stunning scenery.
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It’s in these moments that I feel most alive, most connected to the world around me.
It’s also when my mind starts to wander to something I think about often: healing.
Healing is a word that gets thrown around a lot, especially in the world of illness.
People often talk about healing as though it’s synonymous with being cured, with the idea that everything can somehow be fixed or made whole again.
But the more time I spend in the mountains, the more I realize that healing isn’t always about finding a cure.
Sometimes, it’s about something deeper – about healing mentally and emotionally from the things we can’t change.
Hiking in the Cairngorms this week gave me that calm feeling I search for, there’s a stillness here in the mountains that’s almost tangible.
It’s as if the very air is infused with calm and it seeps into you, filling all the cracks and rough edges that life has worn away.
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The mountains don’t promise a cure but they offer a kind of peace that feels like its own form of healing.
Getting back onto a mountain bike was another step in reconnecting with that sense of peace.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt strong enough to do something like that but the bike and I found our rhythm again, and there I was, moving through the trees and along the trails, the familiar rush of adrenaline mixing with the serenity of the forest. It reminded me of the importance of movement – not just physically, but emotionally.
Life is full of obstacles and sometimes the best way to face them is by moving forward, even if the path is uncertain.
The stillness of the mountains has a way of bringing everything into focus.
When I’m out there – whether I’m golfing, hiking, or on the bike – I’m reminded that healing isn’t always about fighting, about trying to conquer the next challenge.
Sometimes, it’s about letting go, about being still and allowing yourself to just be.
There might not be a cure for what I’m facing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t heal.
The mountains have taught me that healing isn’t about finding answers – it’s about finding peace in the spaces between the questions.
As I prepare for what’s ahead, especially with the MRI in London on the horizon, I find comfort in knowing that I can return to this stillness whenever I need it.
The mountains will always be there, offering their quiet strength, reminding me that no matter what happens, there’s a way to heal, even if the path looks different from what we imagined.
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So this week, I’ve taken time to soak it all in – the sunsets over the golf course, the rugged beauty of the Cairngorms, and the familiar trails beneath my mountain bike.
In those moments, surrounded by nature’s vastness, I’ve found a sense of healing that goes beyond the physical.
It’s a reminder that while I may not be able to control everything that happens in life, I can choose how I approach it.
And for me, being in the mountains, being still, is the first step toward healing.
