Come grab a glen with me...

If you love the great outdoors and being active stop what you are doing right now and answer a few questions. I promise you won't regret it. Did you know for instance that Scotland boasts a coastline three times larger than England's and twice that of France's even without including its islands? Or that there are 800 islands sprinkled around Scottish waters? Or even that Scotland has been voted the planet's number one mountain bike destination and you can paraglide, surf, whitewater raft and bungee jump in the Scottish glens and waters too?

Glencoe, Scottish Highlands

The good news is that there are no more questions, only answers. For the next few months I will be here twice a week with my lively travel diary to guide you around my native land. I'll fill you in on all things active and adventure in this dedicated year of 'Active Scotland'.  

My name's Robin McKelvie, a travel writer and photographer now for over a decade. I've been lucky enough to explore over 90 countries, but I've travelled the length and breadth of my own country and passionately believe that Scotland is hard to beat. I've written hundreds of articles on Scotland in newspapers and magazines across the world, as well as on the Internet, and have authored guidebooks to Scotland too, including Cool Camping: Scotland and National Geographic's Traveler guide.

Glen Feshie, Cairngorms

What makes an active holiday here really special for me is that it comes wrapped in some of the world's most jaw-dropping scenery. There are almost 300 mountains over 3,000ft/914m (the Munros) and many more brooding peaks and hills that rise up all around the nation. The coastline is peppered with those beach fringed islands and myriad silvery sea lochs that make getting from A to B an adventure in itself. Inland there are tumbling glens, mighty rivers and hundreds more lochs and lochans that glisten across the wildscape that unfurls outside Scotland's six cities.

You'll be able to read about everything I get up to. There will be everything from forest strolls with my young kids and golfing in the 'Home of Golf', through to battling a sea kayak through the Atlantic surf and heart pumping whitewater rafting. And then there's the river bugging, gorge walking and sailing. I'll also be at events like the Great Scottish Swim.

Loch Tay, Perthshire

It won't all be just about how you can get active in all parts of the country, but also all the brilliant things to see and do. Scotland's castles, whisky distilleries, haggis and history are all world famous for a reason and I'll be checking them out as I go too. So please feel free to join me on my unique journey as I hike, kayak, mountain bike and land yacht (yes that is actually a sport!) around the country. I promise that you will soon be desperate to get out amongst the glens soaking up the scenery and bashing around getting active whether you have never been to Scotland before or have lived here all your life.