SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & HAY-ON-WYE BY MODEL ERIN O'CONNOR
'My job as a model sometimes requires me to be quite static. Often I exist in two-dimensional form on the pages of glossy magazines, so when I'm not working I love the sense of freedom I get from walking in the wilds. It's wonderfully exotic to discover the country you live in on foot.
'I'm surrounded by people all the time, so it's a rare treat when I can pull on my favourite pair of walking boots and venture into the unknown. Those boots have taken me to some unexpected places. They've survived swamps and the Pembrokeshire coast. They've saved me from falling over steep edges, and often they're my only company.
'I like the feeling of isolation. One of my favourite places to walk is Scotland. I went on a shoot for Vogue 15 years ago with the photographer Tim Walker and I just fell in love with it. I couldn't believe how boundlessly beautiful it was. I was hooked and have kept returning. I've got family from Scotland, so it's part of my heritage as well.
'A couple of years ago I went on a walking holiday alone around Aviemore in the Highlands. I walked up to ten miles a day. It's amazing, practically Jurassic in some parts, and you feel like you're stomping on unfound lands. The Abernethy Forest is probably one of my favourite places on earth — and I've been to some far-flung places.
'Another favourite walking spot for me is around Hay-on-Wye. There are some fantastic walks there. Greenery and undiscovered territory are right on your doorstep. I always go to the Hay Festival, but head back at other times of the year too. It's a beautiful part of the world and close enough to escape to from London for the weekend. Last New Year's Day, I went for a walk with my best mate and agent Tori and my godchildren. Our mission was to reach Lord Hereford's Knob, on the border of England and Wales. It involved a ten-mile hike, a real schlep up hills to get there, and it was really chilly — but a great walk.
'Normally I just like random walks, allowing myself to get lost, hiking straight through paddocks and negotiating with bulls in fields. I was spat at by a llama on a walk in the New Forest, which was very funny.
'I don't mind a bit of rain or snow — nothing really stops me in my tracks. I don't like it if a walk's too easy either. There's no fun in not having a challenge ahead of you. And after wearing some of the world's highest heels, I can pretty much cope with any terrain.'
Erin O'Connor is the face of the Investec Derby Festival, taking place on 3-4 June at Epsom Downs Racecourse (epsomdowns.co.uk).
