Ian Middleton
About me
I am a writer, photographer, teacher, content creator and mythical monster hunter......
I write travel and photography books and articles primarily, but also SEO content and copywriting. As an educator I run photography workshops in both England and Slovenia and offer free English lessons online.
Here you will find articles and photos from my travels along with lots of news, travel information and tips. Plus other articles on various topics.
In my spare time I like to study mythical creatures and ancient legends.
Background
Over the past years I have travelled through Australia, Mexico, North America, Spain, Ireland, South America, Cuba, New Zealand and Slovenia. In 1997 I started working on a series of travel books charting my adventures in these countries. They tell of my experiences and of the colourful characters I met along the way. The reason I started writing these books was to show people just how much fun and adventurous travelling can be, and how it is not as dangerous as many might perceive. I also wanted to show that travelling alone need not be as lonely as you might think. These books are a perfect example of that. Besides, I have a terrible memory, and so at least this way when I’m old and grey, sitting in my rocking chair with my pipe, slippers and incontinence pants, I’ll be able to read my books and think, blimey did I do that?
To the End of the World and Back was the first of these books to be published.
In the summer of 2003 I hiked solo for 280 miles across Ireland, from Wexford to Donegal, in aid asthma research. Visit the walk for asthma link for more info and an article I wrote about it.
In keeping with the emerging interest in ebooks, My third title is an e-book story of my second ever long solo journey. It tells of how, as a novice traveller, I set off on an amazingly profound and comical four-month journey around the whole of Mexico. My two paperbacks, To the End of the World and Back and Hot Footing Around the Emerald Isle have also been released as e-books complete with over a hundred full colour photographs from each journey, and Hot Footing now also contains 18 new articles from return journeys to the Emerald Isle.
I have also collaborated with Douglas Elwell on a book called Mysterious World: Ireland, a lavishly illustrated history book/travel guide focusing on the history and ancient mysteries of Ireland. Learn about the fairies, giants, leprechauns, ancient kings and the many Celtic deities that have all left their indelible mark upon Ireland’s culture and traditions. Find out where many of the country’s ancient megalithic structures, fairy trees, raths and other sacred places lie, and read what the archeologists and tour guides won’t tell you, the legends and folklore behind them. For example, if you take the tour of Newgrange, the guide will not tell you that according to Celtic mythology this, the greatest of all the burial mounds of Ireland, was once the fairy palace of the Dagda, the father god of the Tuatha de Danann, a magical race who once inhabited Ireland and were defeated by the Celts and driven from the land into the underworld to become known as the Sidhe (fairy folk) of Ireland.
My latest book is a comprehensive guide to photography. Out now in paperback and kindle: A Practical Guide to Photography
As well as writing books I have also written for Landscape Photography Magazine, EOS Magazine, Wex Photo Blog, Backpacker Ireland, Walking World Ireland. If you would like to read the articles published so far then please visit the Articles link.
I lived a lot in Wexford, Ireland. After my original trip there I fell in love with the country, and Wexford. My original journey was the subject of my second book, Hot Footing Around the Emerald Isle
I am married. However, for years before that I was on the lookout for an attractive woman to accompany me to social functions, as the inflatable doll was becoming a bit old and worn and had the embarrassing habit of falling face-first into its dinner. My search came to an end one day in Spain when I met Nika, a beautiful girl from Slovenia who stole my heart, shares my passion for travel and has somehow managed to put up with me ever since. She also made me the happiest of men when she married me and gave me two beautiful children.
I now divide my time between England and Slovenia.
Well, that’s all about me. I’d go on but I wouldn’t want the suicides of countless people on my conscience. So I’ll leave you to enjoy this website.