Charlotte Ballantyne

Mini Bio

From the Scottish Borders, I grew up on a rural sheep farm. While I was the least outdoorsy of my siblings as a child, our surroundings probably did spark my love of wildlife and natural spaces. After university in Edinburgh, I spent two years teaching English in Hong Kong and travelling East Asia. I came back to Edinburgh for a few years, where I worked as a historic walking tour guide, the beginnings of my career in tourism. The travel bug soon came back though and I headed off again to do working holidays in Canada and New Zealand, travelling plenty of other countries along the way.

Now, after a complete loop of the planet and all 7 continents, I’m back home and living in my favourite city of Edinburgh once again. I’m still always planning my next holiday, but when I’m not exploring new places, you can usually find me walking, doing yoga, reading or writing.

Favourite Place to Play

I’ve got countless favourite places from my travels – Antarctica will always be a standout! But closer to home, I think the south of Scotland is pretty underrated. I’m a coast and ocean lover, so the beaches and towns along the North Sea are my favourite day or weekend trips. North Berwick and Dunbar in East Lothian, St Abbs in the Borders and across the border to Bamburgh and Seahouses in Northumberland are all highlights.

Not a lot of People Know This

I’m descended from circus performers through my mum’s side of the family. Nowadays, her extended family are showpeople with travelling fairgrounds.