About Helen and James

Our 
Story

Helen grew up in Kent and spent many years in higher education both at Edinburgh and Exeter universities. James grew up in South Wales and pursued outdoor instructing before joining the Royal Marines. We met in the early 2010s over a shared love for the outdoors, climbing, surfing, diving and hillwalking. General travelling and being active encompassed all our pastimes and once our dogs came along we discovered overlanding as the perfect vehicle to combine all our hobbies into one.

​

After leaving the Royal Marines in 2015 due to injury, James set up a personal training/gym business and we put down some roots in SW England. We married in 2018 and by late 2019 a dream of travelling the world overland was fast becoming a reality. Unfortunately the world had other plans for 2020 but despite this hefty setback it provided the perfect opportunity to take on a different challenge. 

​

Fast forward to 2021 and we found ourselves in a little caravan in the Scottish Highlands as the proud new owners of a derelict steading with 4 acres of land and endless possibilities. We have never felt so lucky. Over 4 years with a mix of determination, a lot of help (and countless mugs of tea!) we restored the old stone walls, repaired the roofs and breathed life back into a place that had been silent for decades. You can learn more about our renovation journey here.