Walking from the most south westerly to the most north easterly point of Scotland is an idea we've been toying with for a little while now. We fell in love with long distance walking following a wet yet wonderful week on the Rob Roy Way in October 2011 and have felt all the benefits of immersing ourselves in nature with a map and compass for days on end ever since. We'd hoped to get started with the SW to NE idea in 2020 but that was of course not to be... however, if anything, the last 18 months have only made us appreciate the outdoors even more; the paths, parks and hills close to Dundee (our home since last summer) revealing all the amazing nature, wildlife and history right on our doorstep. So it is with great excitement that on 23rd August we shall finally commence the first stage of our walk from the Mull of Galloway to John o'Groats. The full route totals 494 miles (that is, without accounting for additional treks to accommodation, side trips and any navigational mishaps) and will take in six recognised trails, including two of the four official Long Distance Paths of Scotland (the ones with the white thistle way-marker). We hope to do the final, and likely most challenging stretch, the 147 mile John o'Groats Trail, from Inverness to the finish line, by Autumn 2022. "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in" |
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