Day 56 & 57 – Orkney’s Neolithic Wonderland
Skara Brae – Ring of Brodgar – The Standing Stones of Stenness – Maeshowe, 12Km and 5000 years Although ScotlandContinue Reading
Category: 2021
Scotland and Orkney
Day 55 – At the Bottom of Scapa Flow
Orphir to Kirkwall, 16Km This morning the rain was lashing against the window when I woke up. AccuWeather said itContinue Reading
Day 54 – Fields of Fire
Dounby to Orphir, 32Km That’s more like it! Two stages in one day. Change and Forgiveness done. Tomorrow I haveContinue Reading
Day 53 – Growth spurt
Birsay to Dounby, 16km Tomorrow’s theme on the pilgrimage will be Change and this is the photo for tomorrow. ButContinue Reading
Day 52 – The Lovely Evie
Evie to Birsay, 22Km St Magnus is the patron saint of Orkney and pilgrims have been walking the St MagnusContinue Reading
Day 51 – Orkney bound
Keiss to John O’Groats, 22Km then ferry to Orkney Another exhilarating clifftop walk today brought me to the end ofContinue Reading
Day 50 – Fog and Rain
Wick to Keiss, 17Km I’m not going to complain about the weather because I’ve been so fortunate in Scotland. It’sContinue Reading
Day 49 – Fog
Occumster to Wick, 27km (No 75 bus and boat) I looked out of the window this morning and saw …Continue Reading
Day 48 – Onto the Caithness Clifftops
Dunbeath to Occumster, 17Km I was expecting these last four days on the John O’Groats trail to be difficult. I’veContinue Reading
Day 47 – A Glorious Day on the Sutherland Coast
Brora to Helmsdale, 21Km (bus to Dunbeath, 24Km) Rose camped last night and arrived at the Sutherland Inn this morningContinue Reading
Day 46 – a noticeable shift in the scenery today
Golspie to Brora, 10Km There was a noticeable shift in the scenery today. The sea pounds the coast like itContinue Reading
Day 45 – We join the NC500 race to Golspie
Dornoch to Golspie, 22Km Golf is one of those games I would probably enjoy if I played it. I thinkContinue Reading
Day 44 – Onwards to Classy Dornoch
Tain to Dornoch, 13Km For the first time in two years the Royal Burgh of Tain Pipe Band took toContinue Reading
Day 43 – The Royal Burgh of Tain
Alness to Tain, 21Km Tain is such a nice seaside town and has everything you need for a short break.Continue Reading
Day 42 – Coffee and Cake with the Vicar
Culbokie to Alness, 15Km I met Rose at Netherton Farm B&B yesterday, as planned, and we’ll walk together for theContinue Reading
Day 41 – Making straw while the sun shines
Inverness to Culbokie, 21Km The Premier Inn’s restaurant was closed, “no staff”. Wetherspoons was only selling beer, “no staff, noContinue Reading
Day 40 – A Day in the New City
Rest day in Inverness I booked a rest day here in Inverness because it seemed like a good idea. NoContinue Reading
Day 39 – The Gingerbread House in the Woods
Drumnadrochit to Inverness, 32Km Drumnadrochit is the monster epicenter of Loch Ness. There is a theme park (Nessieland) and anContinue Reading
Day 38 – The Troll Bridge
Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit, 23Km Today’s walk was a continuation of yesterday’s lovely walk, high on the Great Glen above LochContinue Reading
Day 37 – Nessie!
Fort Augustus to Invermoriston, 13Km I’m staying two nights here in Fort Augustus at the southern end of Loch NessContinue Reading
Day 36 – I will not forget to wear my face mask…
South Laggan to Fort Augustus, 16Km I stayed at the Forest View B&B in South Laggan last night. It wasContinue Reading
Day 35 – Wandering along the shores of Loch Lochy
Gairlochy to South Laggan, 20Km It’s not everyone who has a 45 foot girth Sequoia in the garden. Last night’sContinue Reading
Day 34 – Into the Great Glen
Fort William to Gairlochy, 16Km A canal towpath, like a former railway track, is a dream for the long distanceContinue Reading
Day 33 – Between Two Paths
Rest Day in Fort William I knew I was going to like the West Highland Way and it really wasContinue Reading
Day 32 – The West Highland Way Ends
Kinlochleven to Fort William, 25Km It’s a tough little walk, this West Highland Way. A cursory glance at the mapContinue Reading
Day 31 – Glencoe and the Devil’s Descent
Kingshouse (Glencoe) to Kinlochleven, 14Km There’s usually a good reason why a stage of a long distance footpath is onlyContinue Reading
Day 30 – the heaviest rain so far
Tyndrum to Kingshouse (Glencoe), 31Km My B&B host, Heather produced a pot of homemade marmalade and was delighted to findContinue Reading
Day 29 – Is that a midge?
Inverarnan to Tyndrum, 21Km Today was the first rainy day but it was only an intermittent shower or two, nothingContinue Reading
Day 28 – Farewell to Loch Lomond
Rowardennan to Inverarnan, 25Km It felt like a free ride today on what is the hardest stage of the WestContinue Reading
Day 27 – Loch Lomond
Drymen to Rowardennan, 26Km I liked Drymen. My B&B was centrally located between The Drymen Inn and the “top rated”Continue Reading
Day 26 – Hello to the West Highland Way
Lennoxtown to Drymen, 26Km My hotel last night had a jacuzzi bath with a waterproof TV but I didn’t botherContinue Reading
Day 25 – Thomas Muir?
Kilsyth to Lennoxtown, 16Km I’m just north of Glasgow, it’s just down the road. So close and yet, so far.Continue Reading
Day 24 – Along the Northern Frontier
Falkirk to Kilsyth, 21Km I must have been taught about the Roman Empire at school but I would probably haveContinue Reading
Day 23 – an Engineering Wonder
Linlithgow to Falkirk, 19Km Once again, there was quite a lot to see along the John Muir Way today. AfterContinue Reading
Day 22 – Lost in Time
South Queensferry to Linlithgow, 26Km I booked a 7am breakfast and secured a table with the best view of theContinue Reading
Day 21 – The Three Forth Bridges
Edinburgh to South Queensferry, 27Km I like Edinburgh. There are probably many interesting city walks exploring the streets and buildingsContinue Reading
Day 20 – On The Royal Yacht
Rest day in Edinburgh Whatever you think about the Royal Family, it’s always worth paying £13.50 for a peek behindContinue Reading
Day 19 – Edinburgh Festival
Port Seton to Edinburgh, 18Km Today it was not about the journey but the destination. The JMW did it’s bestContinue Reading
Day 18 – The Black Island
North Berwick to Port Seton, 23Km When John Muir made his 1000 mile walk from Kentucky to the Gulf ofContinue Reading
Day 17 – Going West to East Linton and North Berwick
Dunbar to North Berwick, 26Km I’m walking the John Muir Way backwards. The prevailing winds are westerlies so most walkersContinue Reading
Day 16 – Go West
Rest day in Dunbar If you’re watching a quiz show and there is a question about conservation, national parks etc.Continue Reading
Day 15 – Southern Upland Way, tick
Longformacus to Cockburnspath, 30Km Ho, Ho, Ho said the taxi driver. It’s Long-form-acres and Co-burns-path, he emphasised when he collectedContinue Reading
Day 14 – Twin Peaks
Lauder to Longformacus, 25Km Heavy rain overnight. I could see rain falling all around me today, wonderful dramatic clouds inContinue Reading
Day 13 – some time to savour the delights of Lauder
Melrose to Lauder, 16Km After four consecutive 30Km days on the wilds of the Southern Upland Way, today felt likeContinue Reading
Day 12 – Melrose? I’d rather be reading poetry
Innerleithen to Melrose, 30Km The weather is unbelievable. No one can remember a summer like it. There’s been no rainContinue Reading
Day 11 – Inns and Poets
Scabcleuch to Innerleithen, 31Km That’s a photo of a sheep fold I slept at The Gordon Arms last night, aContinue Reading
Day 10 – Three Days to Melrose
Moffat to Scabcleuch, 29Km The walk this morning was so stunning that I made a quick video (35 seconds) soContinue Reading
Day 9 – A Reservoir
Overfingland to Moffat, 31Km I’ve spent the past three nights on a sheep and cattle farm on the edge ofContinue Reading
Day 8 – 1000 feet inside the Southern Uplands
Sanquhar to Overfingland, 24Km I think I’ve got to the bottom of my flooded boots drama and it’s my ownContinue Reading
Day 7 – first train to Dumfries
A rest day in Sanquhar Lowa has responded to my plight of drenched feet in their nearly new boots. TheyContinue Reading
Day 6 – into rural Nithsdale
Stroanpatrick to Sanquhar, 33Km Having lost “not a few” of his readers yesterday, the author of my Cicerone guidebook wasContinue Reading
Day 5 – in the middle of nowhere
Craigenbay to Stroanpatrick, 29Km Neither of those places actually exist. Craigenbay is just a drop off point for walkers atContinue Reading
Day 4 – The 39 Steps
Bargrennan to Craigenbay, 30Km I started the day with a healthy breakfast. The B&B was full with seven people allContinue Reading
Day 3 – Bothies, Standing Stones and the Wells O’ The Rees
New Luce to Bargrennan, 30Km It was down to the serious business of walking across Scotland today. Little Portpatrick isContinue Reading
Day 2 – Memories of Aquarius
Stranraer to New Luce, 24Km I intended to include a photo of each day’s porridge to give the blog aContinue Reading
Day 1 – I count my chickens
Portpatrick to Stranraer, 15Km Portpatrick is also the start of the E2 European Long Distance Footpath which runs down toContinue Reading
Day 0 – I look for koalas in Scotland
There’s more to Britain than England, of course, so I’m continuing my 2020 northbound journey through Scotland towards the distantContinue Reading
Pilgrimage 