Partway Across Scotland

[bkrey]

I spent April of this year (2019) in Scotland on a walking holiday, route was formed by stitching together the Berwickshire Coastal Path, South Uplands Way, Arran Coastal Way and Cowal Way. My intention was to continue from there on to the West Highland Way, the Skye Trail and then the Hebridean Way but near the end of the Cowal Way I had some bad news from back home so had to return.
A bit disappointed not to have completed the entire trek as the island trails look really beautiful from trip reports I have seen. Oh well. This website was an invaluable resource planning for multi day trekking, and the many trails plus the freedom to camp (responsibly) in the 'wild' make Scotland a very good backpacking destination.
I do not have a GPS so am guessing at the total distance but it would be somewhere around 550 km if I include the day trips up Goatfell and the Cobbler (from Portpatrick I used public transport to get to Brodick on Arran, and then again from Lochranza to Tarbert, though I realized after that I could have connected from Claonaig to Tarbert on foot via the north leg of the Kintyre Way).

Among the many great things on this trip-
- Extremely friendly people. Everyone was willing to stop and chat, and full of good advice or encouragement. Not too many places in the world are like this anymore. In Abbey St Bathans the locals allowed me to pitch on the village green, brought me a beer, firestarter to warm myself at the outdoor hearth, filled my water bottle from their tap, and gave me a free 'Scottish Culture 101' lecture. This is only one example.
- Lots of visual interest. Castles, churches, monasteries, this type of historical relic is fascinating to visit. Perhaps if you have grown up around it the novelty wears off? The Scottish cottage is a category all its own. I did not see any cookie cutter construction, but every dwelling showed pride of ownership, creativity and attention to detail. If I was a photographer I would have done an essay on this subject...I imagine someone has?
- Varied topography. From coast to inland to island there was a nice mix of terrain, certainly something new each day (as others have written).
- the Duke of Ed kids. I met several groups of teenagers partway through their 4 day expedition, what a riot they were. The owner of a gear shop noted to me that you can usually determine what stage of the expedition they are on by the tidiness of their kit (ie, by the 4th day items are tied on to the pack with twine or perhaps trailing behind). There was always a bemused adult with them acting as shepherd/coach.
- the pubs. Coming from Canada, it is both a novelty and pleasure to break up your day's hike with a pint of Guinness and a hot meal. I heard a few locals express some reservations about Scottish pub fare, but as a change from dehydrated mash potatoes and a tin of sardines I found it pretty damn good.
- the camping sites. I found some of the prettiest camping spots I've ever had on this trip, and in every instance had it to myself. St Abbs Head, Curra Lochain, hillside above the coastline on Arran were just a few.

This is not a formal trip report as such, I am too lazy for such documentation, but I posted a YouTube montage with clips from the walk here:

Many thanks to those who created and maintain this website. I gave a small donation as encouragement for you to keep up the good work, ha ha.

[LaurenAlexandraAgain]

Hiya fellow North American! You've outlined beautifully all the reasons why I keep coming back to Scotland for walking holidays. I'm sorry you had to cut your trip short, especially since it looks from the video like you were having a ball. I hope you're able to return and complete the rest of your walk sometime!

[Alteknacker]

550km!! That's a decent walk, especially carrying all your gear. Your sac must have weighed 15kg or so???

Enjoyed the short clip. Sorry about your dad.

[bkrey]

550km!! That's a decent walk, especially carrying all your gear. Your sac must have weighed 15kg or so???

Enjoyed the short clip. Sorry about your dad.

You have very sharp eyes! The pack was about 18 kg depending on how much food or water i had at the moment. Was a little heavy on when walking on roads, but, as my dad used to say, "what you don't have in your head, you must have in your feet".
I rediscover this truth every trip i make...

[bkrey]

Hiya fellow North American! You've outlined beautifully all the reasons why I keep coming back to Scotland for walking holidays. I'm sorry you had to cut your trip short, especially since it looks from the video like you were having a ball. I hope you're able to return and complete the rest of your walk sometime!

I know, right? Sometimes in conversation with the Britons on the trail they would raise their eyebrows a bit when i said i was from Canada, as in, "why did you come here for hiking?", but i think it's a fantastic place for a walking holiday. We are going to have to keep this secret from the rest of North America, OK? I don't want to see the lonely Scottish lochs overrun with a bunch of beer swilling Canadians in plaid shirts.

Cheers