Explore Your Boundaries

Inspired by a desire to seek out and create adventures closer to home, Explore Your Boundaries became an opportunity for Markus Stitz and Mark Beaumont to see the familiar with refreshed eyes. Together, they mapped 24 Scottish council boundary routes to encourage people to stay active, whether cycling or walking, and to inspire adventures that start and finish at their front door.

‘The thing I love about the Explore Your Boundaries concept is that it forced us to find routes which we never would have looked for,’ explains Beaumont. ‘Often it felt like we were in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and yet if I stopped and thought about it, I was only 25 miles from home. It’s really interesting when you have a project, a journey, which is defined by a route which is not necessarily the trail itself. Straight-lining expeditions have always fascinated me, and in a weird way this felt like a straight-lining expedition, because we were following this predefined line.’

Their new documentary captures their four adventures in Clackmannanshire, East Lothian and Falkirk, undertaken between June and September 2021, and Glasgow, undertaken during COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, in November 2021.

The routes along the boundaries of Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk and Glasgow allow cyclists the opportunity to not only to experience the varied landscapes, but also offered them an insight into the historic places they experienced along the way.

‘I can think of so many examples, from this project where I’ve learned different parts of Scotland’s history,’ says Beaumont. ‘They would have passed me by if I was just going out to do a training ride.’

With the support of Clackmannanshire Council, Visit East Lothian and Visit Falkirk, it’s hoped the film will also highlights regions in Scotland which aren’t normally in the tourist spotlight.

‘Responsible and sustainable tourism by bike can bring new income streams and visitors to those communities,’ Explains Markus. ‘I hope the film will inspire more people to visit in 2022 and beyond.’