DAY 13: TARFSIDE TO NORTH WATER BRIDGE DAY 13, WEDNESDAY. RIGHT-CLICK TO ENLARGE IN NEW WINDOW Distance: 27.0 km Ascent:     150 m LOUISE & BARRY AT ST DROSTAN'S TWEEDLEDUM & TWEEDLEDEE: EMMA'S PICTURE GRAHAM ON THE SNIPER'S BRIDGE EMMA, SNIPER'S BRIDGE LEAVE THE ROAD HERE FOR THE BLUE DOOR WALK GRAHAM & EMMA ON THE BLUE DOOR WALK: RIGHT-CLICK TO ENLARGE EMMA ASTRIDE THE NORTH ESK C/O THE AMERICAN AIRFORCE EMMA'S PICTURE: LIGHTWEIGHT SHELTERS. L-R: IAN, LOUISE, EMMA, ME, EST ..read more

  DAY TEN, SUNDAY AFTERNOON: BRAEMAR - GELDER SHIEL In the midst of a complicated discussion with my B&B landlady about access rights to her business my phone pinged. It was Emma. I'd obviously missed her first message of an hour ago and this second had me in a flat panic.  "Are you standing me up?" It was now ten thirty and I'd been totally engrossed in my conversation with my landlady.  I'd arranged to meet Em at nine thirty at the cafe. Christ, this was not the best start to my day! Rewinding a little to last night, our evening had gone along really well and I'd decided t ..read more

  DAY EIGHT, FRIDAY: BLAIR ATHOLL TO BYNACK LODGE Having cleared two toast racks ("mixed, please," thus avoiding the awkwardness of choosing white death or sack-cloth and ashes with the granary-wholemeal-brown option) fresh fruit and a hearty fry up with posh sauces, great coffee and fruit juices, I was once again set up for the day.  I recommend Dalgreine Guest House I hadn't managed to unscramble the cats cradle of the pitchlock end of my tent, but I could always sort that out when I got to Braemar, or perhaps Clova, or Montrose? Note: I've been home some months now and it's a ..read more

  DAY SIX, WEDNESDAY: BRIDGE OF GAUR TO TOMANBUIDHE After returning home and reading other Challengers' accounts of their walks, it seems I picked a good night to be indoors, pampered, and generally spoiled rotten. There was quite a storm on Tuesday night of which I was blissfully unaware tucked up in fresh cotton sheets lying in a wonderfully comfortable bed. I do recall a bit of thrashing on the Velux roof light in the bathroom but gave it no heed at the time as I slipped into beautiful oblivion. There was a big ragged sky as I set off at Bed and Breakfast hours, with heavy showers all ..read more

  When I decide, finally, that it's time to get out of bed and start to pack things away, I know I'm in for a wrestling match with my beautiful bag. It's a monster and it has to pack down into its little stuff sack. Three rounds with Mick McManus later, I start the fourth with Jackie Pallo, sorting out my mattress. By now the tent seems cavernous with just an assortment of dry-bags, map cases, wallets, food bags and all manner of stuff that I don't recall ever having seen before. Before long I'm dressed, booted and picking up the pack. It's a quarter past seven so probably a little early ..read more

  Not all of last night's titting about on the internet was a waste of time. Before sliding sideways into sleep I had thought to look at the weather forecast for Kinlochleven for tomorrow. That's today now - that's the today in the blog, not today, the day you're reading this. You understand. It wasn't pretty. In fact it looked, well, it looked bloody horrible. Heavy rain to move in from around 8:30 am, to persist for most of the day, with heavy gusty winds from the north east, veering east later. LOOKING BACK TO THE MAMORE LODGE HOTEL AND LOCH LEVEN. TAKEN AT 07:36 The caption b ..read more

The west of Scotland is magnificent - steep sided mountains soaring straight from the sea to dizzying heights. The weather changes from warm sunshine to horizontal sluicing rain in minutes with a dazzling array of lighting effects.  For a Challenger walking from the west coast this magnificent scenery has its downsides. Starting from sea level means you're exerting considerably more energy climbing, whether you're sliding on your belly over the bealachs or stretching for the summits. The changeable weather means you've to carry all manner of clothing to suit every whim of Heather the Wea ..read more

DAY 2: RIGHT CLICK TO ENLARGE IN A NEW WINDOW Distance: 23 km Ascent:    330 m  Any reasonable person looking at that map, along with the distance and the ascent figures, would think to themselves that they would knock this off fairly comfortably and be in the Inn at Ardgour in time for a couple of pints before heading upstairs to sort out the washing and still be in plenty of time for dinner.  There are occasions where I consider myself that reasonable man, and setting off before eight o'clock with a pale blue sky and sight of the ragged ridges, all was well with ..read more

DAY ONE: RIGHT CLICK TO ENLARGE IN A NEW WINDOW Distance: 24 km Ascent:    620 m Breakfast for one. Through the windows the outside looks cold and gusty. Over the last few days the forecast has veered from one poor day followed by quite a few promising days of sunshine, to that poor day followed by a very mixed days with heavy showers and heavier winds. Fortunately, Phil has me walking a fairly sheltered first day with a fair proportion of the afternoon in forestry, so I'm away to catch the school bus to Acharacle in a fairly optimistic mood.  THE START POINT: T ..read more

Are there any problem solvers in the congregation? Then you'll know the old saw "Where are we now, where do we want to be and how are we going to get there?" This map shows the fourteen start points on the west coast of Scotland. The green and yellow shaded area represents the countryside that Challengers must stay within to walk to the east coast. Rail and bus services are shown in red for rail and green for buses. Quite why red is chosen for rail services defeats me as I would have chosen black but this is a free country and Challengers are free spirits. As you already know, if you have r ..read more