20220415 Hermit bagging

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Location : Lochaber, Scotland

Distance : 35.0km

Route :

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1GnbRikde8Ore8bQN-di7FJ4VszRTiCE&ehbc=2E312F&w=640&h=480]

For a period of time toward the end of 2021 I could not stop talking about The Hermit Of Treig, a documentary exploring the fascinating life of Highlands recluse, Ken Smith. Photographer, diarist, woodsman, loner - whatever identity the world has tried to assign him, Ken Smith resists. Assisted by the generous filmmaking of Lizzie Mackenzie, Smith tells the story of his early years growing up in northern England, the violent upheaval that set him to travelling the Canadian backcountry in the 1970s, and his eventual return and subsequent journey north to build a new life in the Highlands. Mackenzie, who had never made a documentary feature prior to this, befriended him while working nearby - relatively speaking - in the Lochaber region of Scotland that Smith has made his home for the past 40 years. The film showcases everything that is good about Ken’s simple, secluded way of life, showing its beauty without glossing over the hard reality of a life outside society.

Hermit on dkcrw

20220415 Hermit bagging