Raise a glass of malt

Day 51: Catch-up and reflections.

Yesterday’s walk got rather passed over in the excitement of finishing the whole thing, but it was a notable day in itself. We visited Suzanne and Howard in their lovely new house (where we were due to have stayed on Sunday, had the ferries gone as planned), and fuelled by Suzanne’s excellent cake, we set off through the forest – tough going, they didn’t design firebreaks for walkers – and up our final summit, Giur-bheinn. A mere 317m high, it had a terrific view, from Iona to Ireland; Islay and Jura were at our feet, and 21 lochs were visible. The 2-mile pathless descent was the boggiest and tussockiest of the whole walk, but we were rewarded with sightings of some magnificent stags and a golden eagle.

When I first conceived of this walk, it was just a long walk…but it’s become so much more. Huge thanks to all the people who have made it so by giving their time, money, hospitality, inspiration and sheer physical effort to the cause. I’m so proud that we’ve been able to raise over £21,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association – much of it from people such as Brian, Graeme, Julian, Leigh, and others who have lost a loved one to MND. We raise a glass of Islay malt (Ardbeg) to the memory of Susan Fletcher Watts, our inspiration and our forerunner with her Pennine Way Challenge. Over 200 people have donated, including several that we met along the way – thank you all so much for your generosity.

Obviously I love walking – the physical process itself, the changing views, the satisfaction of climbing hills, feeling the weather. The challenge of finding an interesting route between two places and executing it has been immensely satisfying – unsurprisingly the mountains and the coast have been favourite points, but every day has brought its own joy, and the painful days give me something to write about.

Visiting, and in many cases walking with, friends along the way has a particular joy. Special thanks to Paul, my constant companion throughout, never complaining (except in his crazy starship video log), always entertaining and by now well in training (don’t worry, Paul, I’m not proposing another one just yet).

Right, that’s enough reflection, and enough miles. Time to enjoy a few malts and lay down my pen. Ooh, I almost forgot – Track of the Day! I’ve selected Rossini’s William Tell Overture, whose four sections aptly capture the variety of the walk: elegiac beauty, a storm, a pastoral landscape and the triumph and excitement of the famous gallop (if you’re short of time, start at 8:20).