When taking in the Highlands, Cairngorms, lochs and stretching beaches, people often see their beauty.
They rarely see insurmountable barriers.
But for some people, the idea of hiking in the outdoors or paddleboarding on a loch can fill them with trepidation or overpowering self-doubt.
This could be due to access issues, lack of funds or education on the correct attire and approach.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Josh Adeyemi and his brother Enoch who are first-generation immigrants from Nigeria, they realised it could also be a lack of representation.
Whether put there by society or self-imposed, these barriers are something Josh has been committed to personally breaking time and again.
And for the last two years, he and Enoch have been helping others do the same through their group Black Scottish Adventurers (BSA).
Black Scottish Adventurers: A place where people can grow and be challenged
Aiming to help ethnic communities connect with nature, Josh said the group was named Black Scottish Adventurers so straight away people felt welcome.
He said: “It’s not a closed group anyone can come along.
“However, there is no group that is specifically focusing on black people.
“That’s why the group has been so successful because people are like, ‘I’m definitely welcome here. I don’t have to break any barriers to be here. I just have to grow and be my authentic true self.'”
‘The outdoors is like a drug’
For Josh, his life changed after reading the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
After moving from Lagos, Nigeria – a city with few green spaces – to Edinburgh 10 years ago, he was awed by Scotland’s beauty.
When he came across the right to roam responsibly, he was gobsmacked: “I was like, ‘This is ridiculous.’
“I can just go and do whatever I want. It was so different from where I came from.
“All I knew was, I was going go out, enjoy the space, do some adventures, and just enjoy myself.”
But it was not long before Josh began to see the personal benefits of getting out and about and as his own sense of adventure increased, he became addicted.
“If you spend enough time outdoors, it’s a drug in itself,” he said.
“The more time you spend outdoors, the more you want to spend time outdoors because it’s just so good for you.”
How Black Scottish Adventurers began
Following the lockdown in 2022, Josh and his brother noticed how low morale was.
So they decided to do something about it.
The brothers organised a hike up a Munro in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park with a group of around 20 people.
Just keen to raise people’s spirits, on the way up the Munro, Josh said a lot in the group were saying ‘I’m never doing this again’.
He added: “But when they saw the view it wasn’t as bad as they thought.
“On the way down, they were like, ‘When is the next one?’
“When we finished the hike we went by the loch and had food, drinks, music and all that good stuff.”
And with that, Black Scottish Adventurers (BSA) was officially formed.
Following the model of a hike followed by food, music and community (with usually a bit of dancing), the group goes on trips once a month all over Scotland.
Which usually includes many trips near Aviemore and Fort William if Josh has a say in it.
Falling in love with the sheer number of mountains in Glencoe and Fort William on his way to Skye a few years ago, the group often visits the area.
With over 600 Facebook followers and members from all over Scotland including Inverness and Aberdeen, the corporate actions analyst said now they usually have to cap numbers at 100 people per hike.
‘When you don’t see people like you doing something already that’s a barrier’
Encouraging community, education and breaking barriers, Josh, who recently modelled Cotswold Outdoor’s spring and summer collection, said BSA has had a big impact.
Not long after returning from a sailing trip near Oban with a group of six people, the award-winning outdoor enthusiast said a lot of them were nervous due to being afraid of water or not knowing how to swim.
Josh said: “But I managed to persuade and educate them and they felt comfortable.
“Representation is so important because when you don’t see people like you doing something already that’s a barrier.
“It is so important to break down those barriers.
“Maybe somewhere in our heads, someone has said, ‘We don’t do that.’
“And we believe it. But it’s only because we don’t have access to it not because we can’t do it together.
Members have moved cities to be closer to BSA friends
“You can see how BSA has played a part when it comes to representation.
“There’s never been as many ethnically diverse people enjoying the outdoors in Scotland until BSA came along.”
Josh said the level of diversity within the group is high with people from the Caribbeans, Africa, Australia and all over the UK creating a community filled with a range of cultures, backgrounds and languages.
He said: “I think the way we packaged everything is different from most hiking groups. It’s a way for our members to bond and connect, rather than just hiking a hill and ticking it off.
“Everyone comes together and then connects over a meal.
“We’ve seen people move from one city to another just to be closer to the action.
“It’s not just because of the hike because now what we see is our members are connected locally.”
The bad stuff: Film videos after leaving spots out of ‘necessity’
While there has been overwhelming support for the group, there have also been some shocking downsides.
When BSA first started over two years ago, Josh said there were a lot of issues.
Just as the group would arrive somewhere, often a member of the public would call the rangers complaining of some issue.
Due to this, Josh said the group have had to build in some necessary habits like filming a video once they leave an outdoor space to show how it is being left.
“It’s out of necessity,” he explained. “Rather than just wanting to educate people because we’re so scared that if we use a place and leave it, someone might come put trash there and then film it and say we did so.”
Mindful of being a big crowd and sometimes playing music as they walk, members are always educated on sustainability and being aware of other walkers.
But as director of Black Professionals Scotland, an organisation which supports black professionals and students, Josh is aware of the many issues already being faced by members at work and home.
Thankful for support of BSA and wider community
“Environmental sustainability is at the heart of what we do,” he went on to explain. “But something I don’t want our members to end up doing is overcompensating.
“We promote the good stuff and then the bad stuff we just shelve it away so they don’t see it. Because if they do see it, it taints the experience for them.”
With organisations like Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National posting congratulations on their anniversary this year and a strong online presence, Josh said people are becoming more aware of BSA.
Receiving encouraging messages, tips on where to visit locally and rangers even offering to accompany the group to point out local wildlife and beauty spots, Josh added: “I think that’s something that really stood out for me the support that we received from the community at large.
“I’m really thankful for the journey I’ve been on with BSA. It’s a community that supports me that I love and that loves me back. I never feel lonely at any point.”
To find out more about Black Scottish Adventurers visit the website or Facebook page.
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