In September 2020 I walked the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way, back to back with my dad for Prostate Cancer UK.
My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and underwent surgery to have his prostate removed. 12 months on, still recovering from the major surgery, we undertook a 180 mile self supported walk across the highlands of Scotland, to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.
I have made a short video of my adventure and can be found here: https://youtu.be/nL1KNeb6VqI
The F U to Cancer Walk
Milngavie
We caught the train from Stoke at midday and took the 5 hour journey to Milngavie. The train wasn’t full however there was one person to two seats. It was slightly delayed between Preston and Lancaster as there was a tresspasser on the line! This meant we missed our connecting train at Glasgow, resulting in…
Milarrochy
The rain started to fall around 0200hrs and it hasnt stopped and the forecast shows it isn’t letting up until the weekend at least! We headed into Drymen to visit the local shop to get ourselves another meal. We are aiming to carry two days of food with us to save on the weight and…
Crainlarich
We anticipated yesterday was going to be tough, just not as tough as it actually was. I booked ahead a B&B in Crainlarich, a short 7 miles from Beinglas. We are so glad we did! We didn’t need to be up early so we remained in our sleeping bags to the sound of our fellow…
Bridge of Orchy
The comfy beds were exactly what our weary bodies needed. However I woke with a dodgey stomach that required an Imodium. I can’t figure out if it was something I had eaten or my body is still in shock from the 21 miler. We had our breakfast which made us feel human again and picked…
Kings House
I was feeling much improved from the day before but still had an Imodium to be safe. We left the hotel in glorious sunshine which stayed with us throughout the day; we actually had to put the sunscreen on! We crossed the bridge and began our ascent up Mam Carraigh. At the top we were…
Kinlochleven
We were blessed yesterday with the weather, however we are paying for it today. It has been by far the worst conditions on the trip to this point. We had breakfast in the lounge bar, where the night before we watched the deer through the windows. Once eaten we collected our packed lunches from reception…
Fort William
Thankfully the rain had stopped during the night allowing us to take down the tent which was relatively dry by Scottish weather standards. The path took us through the village where it climbed through the woodlands surrounding Kinlochleven. Dad found it a bit tiring but we couldn’t stop long to catch our breaths as the…
Gairlochy
We took full advantage of our rest day in Fort William. All our gear has been washed and I replaced my waterproof trousers. We did a tour of all the watering holes along the high street watching the hikers cross the finish line; many with the WHW strut. We bumped into a few walkers that…
Laggan
The rain started around 1700hrs yesterday and relentlessly fell until around 1300hrs, where we had sunny spells and showers for the remainder of the day. I managed to get in touch with the hostel at Laggan, so a dry bed for tonight. Throughout the night the wind and rain battered the tent ensuring we had…
Fort Augustus
The rain had been on and off thoughout the night; we left while there was a break in it while the sun was shining. We managed about 300m before a shower hit us; on with the waterpoofs. We just can’t seem to shake our nemesis. The path followed the canal for a short while before…
Invermoriston
Today was only a short 7.5 miles and our bed for the night at the ‘Glenmoriston Arms Hotel’ has a check in time of 1500hrs. As this was to be a short day we left as late as possible. It was a little frustrating as we had gotten into the routine of packing up then…
Drumnadrochit
The forecast for our penultimate day on the GGW was cloudy with 0% chance of rain, according to the weather app on my phone. Looking out the window there was a menacing cloud just outside Invermoriston just waiting for us to leave. We debated whether to don the waterproof over trousers or to risk it…
Inverness
We had very little sleep during the night. Our cabins were next to a field full of inconsiderate cows that thought it was a good idea to ‘Moo’ throughout the night. They sounded like they were just outside! It also rained on and off which made me a little anxious with the potential of facing…
Rehydration Therapy
A 179 miles. 397,142 steps. Through horizontal rain, high winds, sunshine, midge territory; over hill, tretcherous terrain, bog land and concrete. We endured challenges with the weather, lack of food and amenities. Problems caused by Covid regarding accommodation that resulted in a nightmare day 3. Suffered blisters, aching feet, broken knees, sore shoulders and dodgy…
Reflection
The two weeks on the WHW and the GGW went by far too fast. On the train home from Inverness, the first stop was Aviemore. The end stage to the East Highland Way and the Speyside Way. The temptation to just get off at the station and walk the EHW in reverse was almost overwhelming.…
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Stu's Camino 