My favourite place by Beluga Lagoon frontman Andrew O’Donnell
Where is it?
The river near my house in Stirlingshire.
Why do you go there?
I have worked for four years making a documentary, so I know it well in terms of where the wildlife live, the birds nest and otters have their holts. I think that familiarity, when you get to know a specific place really well, is where proper magic and connection can come from.
I go there for fun. I go there with my kids. I go there for a bit of everything. It is an all-encompassing thing. Does it inspire my music? I have done too many songs about rivers to be honest – I’ll need to think of something else.
It is a spate river, so it normally runs quite low but when the rain comes, you can kayak on it which is good fun. It’s always exciting when you wake up and the water level is high enough.
My favourite season is autumn. Things are moving around and changing. The colours are amazing. Life is dying a bit, but it is still beautiful.
How often do you go?
For a while it was every day, now every couple of days.
How did you discover it?
I used to come before we lived here, so it did sort of influence where we decided to live.
What’s your favourite memory?
Going out at night-time, especially with my son, to do bat detecting. Daubenton’s bats catch insects off the surface of the water – they are interesting creatures.
There have been a few times too where we’ve had the otter turn up and watch us with curiosity. It’s the little unexpected things which are normally the most magical.
Who do you take?
I go on my own, or with my wife Lyndsay and our kids, who are four and 10. We mess around, go swimming, play on rope swings and fall in. It is a multi-functional place. Rivers are so important, not just for leisure. They are the veins of life.
What do you take?
It depends on the activity. I have a photography hide, which is a little camouflage tent. I always take lots of food and coffee because I can be there for 14 hours at a time.
What do you leave behind?
As a wildlife filmmaker, if there’s plenty happening, you are in the zone and putting your problems behind you.
There are also times, when there is nothing going on, and all you are left with is your own thoughts. A lot of people say, “Go outside and your mind will be clear”, but I think it’s a bit more nuanced than that.
Sum it up in five words.
Who knows what you'll see.
What other travel spot is on your wish list?
The Amazon rainforest. I have been there, but I would like to go back. Anywhere it rains, I’m happy.
The documentary Little River by Andrew O’Donnell will be released in early 2025. He wants to keep the exact location of the river secret. His latest Beluga Lagoon album, The Slug’s Bunnet, is out now. Visit belugalagoon.com and Instagram @beluga_lagoon
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