In the very first episode of Adventure Unfiltered, Lorna is joined by her friend and “everyday adventurer” Iona (@iona.adventuring) for a conversation that’s warm, honest and full of laughter - recorded after a sea swim and sauna on Scotland’s Moray coast.

Together they look back at how their friendship began: from early hikes to a frozen sunrise camp in the Pentlands (complete with a John Lewis pillow stuffed into a tiny two-man tent), to Iona accidentally building an online walking community that helped thousands of people find their tribe in the Scottish hills.

Iona shares how that season of bagging summits and chasing sunsets slowly evolved into something different: slower days, pram walks, micro-adventures on the doorstep, and rediscovering nature through the eyes of her children.

Throughout the episode, one thread keeps coming back: connection and community. From those first Facebook hikes, to section-hiking the Moray Coast Trail together over months, Lorna and Iona show how adventure doesn’t have to be epic or expensive to be meaningful. It can be built in small, intentional chunks that work around real life, kids, work and shifting priorities.

At the end, Lorna asks Iona what the Adventure Unfiltered strapline - “In the wild, we remember who we are” - means to her. Iona’s answer is simple and powerful: outside is where she feels most herself, most confident, and most at peace.

This is a heartfelt celebration of everyday adventure, friendship and giving yourself permission to let your life - and your version of adventure - evolve.

You’ll hear about....

• Sea vs loch swims… and why adding a sauna feels “a bit bougie”
• How a small Facebook group for solo hikers grew into a 4,500-strong community
• The first “micro-adventure” in the Pentlands that set the tone for their friendship
• Section-hiking the Moray Coast Trail in a way that worked around kids, work and pregnancy
• Shifting from summit-chasing weekends to slow, local adventures with young children
• Leaving nursing and starting a flexible travel business
• Dealing with online criticism, holding boundaries and choosing kindness.

🌿 Connect with Iona

Learn more about Iona and her work here:

• Instagram – @iona.adventuring
• Nurture with Nature Podcast: nurturewithnature.buzzsprout.com
• Independent Travel Business: ionaandean.inteletravel.uk/booktravel.cfm

🌿 Subscribe & Follow the Journey

Whether you’re planning a local wander, dreaming of a global expedition, craving the outdoors, looking for inspiration or searching for a role model — you’re in the right place.

If you enjoy this episode, hit Subscribe and / or tap the 🔔 to be notified as each episode drops.

Listen on:

• YouTube - @Adventure_Unfiltered_Podcast
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5HdHBR65RVpHEeuTc3fKHX
• Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1855170552
• Amazon Podcasts - https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/1640769f-1eec-46bb-9845-661dd3cecddc/adventure-unfiltered

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