Have you ever wanted to jump off the hamster wheel? To quit the nine to five (and then some) and head off into the wilds? I think a lot of us have. Why else would television programmes like Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild have such a loyal following. And some (me included) have stepped off the treadmill for a short time. But we usually clambered back on. Why do we come back to what we know? Is it because, as much as we hate to admit it, that steady pay cheque provides security? However, there are a few who have shunned the mainstream. And The Way of the Hermit by Ken Smith is about one of those.
Forty years is a chunk of time
Forty years is how long our hero (not that he’d called himself that) has resided in a log cabin of his own creation, close to the shore of Loch Treig.
The Way of the Hermit charts this man’s fascinating life and allows us to peek into the hardships and happiness of living off grid. We go right back to when he was a child to discover some rather unpleasant experiences. And then there is a pivotal event as Ken walks home from the pub one night that changes his life forever.
Giving it all up
Even after this seismic event, he doesn’t just up and head for the Scottish Highlands. First come extended trips into the Canadian wilderness. Ken acknowledges he’s been extremely fortunate to gain permission to build his cabin from an understanding landowner. But there is no denying, his lifestyle is hard graft. A fifty-mile round trip on foot to the nearest supermarket isn’t for the faint hearted.
You may not want to jack it all in, but I’d still recommend reading The Way of the Hermit by Ken Smith. This is an absorbing account of one man’s remarkable way of life. Highly entertaining.