The Aye Life – Scottish for The Yes Life.

“Aye” is widely used in Scotland as a synonym for “yes.” The Aye Life was born on a bench in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, out of a need to convey what both we and our blog were all about; saying yes and doing the things. Yes to taking chances, yes to stepping out of our comfort zones and yes to sharing the outcome of those yes decisions on our multiple platforms. But The Aye Life also has another meaning, it is a no frills pun on living the high life, because that is exactly what saying yes has allowed us to do. To live our very own version of “The Aye Life,” one that has seen us do everything from sipping cocktails in New Orleans with Snoop Dogg for company, being tattooed by our favourite rum brand, Sailor Jerry, twice, going spear-fishing off the coast of the island of Islay, countless Scottish boat trips, seeing a humpback whale in the wild off the coast of County Cork, Ireland, working with hundreds of accommodation and hospitality businesses across Scotland and Ireland.

But living the high life isn’t really about the places we’re invited to, or the standout businesses we work with. It is about finding contentment and the meaning of life in life’s simple pleasures. We’ve been led to believe that living the high life is putting on the Ritz (which we have, in New Orleans), or dining in the majestic Balmoral Hotel in Scotland and attending after hours whisky launches. Those things are wonderful and we are entirely grateful for them, but The Aye Life is about the beauty around us, in nature, in animals and in people. Good company and good craic, beautiful natural views, all encompassing feelings of adventure, gratitude and emotion, the things that make us tick.

We started out as predominantly a Scottish blog, focusing on travelling Scotland as Scottish bloggers covering all things Scottish tourism, hospitality and lifestyle. This has seen us build up a following of nearly 100 thousand people from all over the world. Our monthly reach hovers between 600k and 1.1 million on our busier months. Our adventures have saw us develop constantly and step further into who we want to be; travellers of Celtic coastlines, chasing the tide and creating content around one topic; water, the source of all life. Just like the world around us, we move, we evolve. But who even are we?

Victoria; mermaid, captain, pirate, rebel and Scottish selkie of the seas.

The Aye Life has changed my life in a million different ways, I have learned more about who I am during this journey than at any other point in my whole life, and every day I am learning more. Looking for beauty in my every day has taught me so much about life and nature and how we must, at all costs, protect it.

I have long dominated my wee corner of the internet with stories of adventure, fantasy, great escapes, whisky loch-side and mostly, my wild watery adventures in the big blue. I am a content creator, a photographer, a writer (where my love lies), a communicator, a story-teller, a blogger, an “influencer,” and a marketer, but mostly I am a lass with stories of old, folk tales, sarky humour and deep passion living in my soul. If I can encourage people to adventure and travel whilst tasting the best of our Celtic fruits, great, but mostly, I want to encourage women to find their wild side and honour the many women who came before them in doing so, to make connections with the natural world and to find solace in nature. I am a woman of the Highlands of Scotland but I was born to roam. There are two countries that live in my heart, Scotland and Ireland, the Celtic countries of old. I am a rebel at heart and when I’m not snorkelling in majestic kelp forests, or listening to folk music, I am adventuring, writing content that makes my soul sing or collecting crystals, sea glass and treasures from the shore.

The Aye Life has led me into a deep, dark and daring love with our great ocean. I am the definition of “happiest when wet.” Like a long haired golden retriever without a care, I wade confidently into the water, my hair taking on a majestic golden flow around me and from that moment onwards, the sea is my secret haven.

Scott; explorer, rebel and rock and roll soul

The Aye Life has opened me up to whole new world of possibility. It has built my confidence exponentially and has dragged me kicking and screaming out of my comfort zone. This blog has made me see my own capabilities, ones I didn’t even know I had. It has made look at the world in a different light and has forced me to learn and grow constantly. The Aye Life has shown me endless passionate businesses who work, often silently but in tandem to create a well-oiled machine which allows our Celtic nations to grow financially but more so, culturally. Life is an adventure but more so than that, it is an opportunity to grow your mind and always be learning. Chasing culture has become my lifeblood. There’s nothing I enjoy more than “getting going.”

Ever since the very beginning of The Aye Life, I have helped hundreds of businesses navigate technology, web development and web design. I have kept up with the ever changing face of technology both through necessity and personal interest. I have helped to streamline business operations so they run more smoothly. I have flown drones from mountains and dived 20 ft underwater to film or photograph Victoria in her natural world. I have gained perspective on the beauty around me which I admittedly took for granted before The Aye Life. I am a website designer and developer, website host and photographer, but I’m also just a guy with an endless curiousity about our world, and how current affairs, politics and technology shape it. I’ve strayed far from my home of Aberdeen and it has shown me how much our islands, counties, towns and cities differentiate from each other, how each has its own special charm and personality. I have acquired a need to roam. When I’m not knee deep in tech or the ocean, I am often found listening to 80’s hair metal, creating travel itineraries, listening to podcasts and partaking in Guinness.

The Aye Life has done more for my personal growth both physically and mentally than I can ever really put into words. But as long as there is the unknown out there, I will continue to chase it.

The Aye Life is a way of life, a passion, a need to roam, an intense love of all things community, nature and simple pleasures.

“But honestly, I could go on and on, I could explain every natural phenomenon, the tide, the grass, the ground, that was The Aye Life just messing around” – Maui, Moana

You’re welcome x

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