The Great Outdoors coast-to-coast challenge of Scotland
The Great Outdoors coast-to-coast challenge in the highlands of Scotland is completed!
We walked an immense 338 kilometers (210 miles) in 14 days. The self-planned route started in Dornie at the beautifully picturesque Eilean Donan castle and finished on the opposite coast of Scotland at the dramatic, clifftop Dunnottar castle. We experienced the path leading through Glen Affric, following parts of the Affric-Kintail Way, briefly joining the Speyside Way before cutting through Glen Feshie in the mountainous Cairngorms, before finishing through the grand Fetteresso forest, down to the sea.
The journey was eventful, with lots of adventure found and new friends made along the way. I am very proud of myself and Richard for completing the lengthy challenge. It wasn't always easy, but we made it.
I would consider this route both the toughest and the best adventure I ever had.
The self-planned aspect of the trip encompassed the difficulty and responsibility of the walk.
We needed to plan what would be the most effective way to make it to the desired destination of each stretch. All while balancing how much we could withstand being in arduous, boggy off-road paths, or on the well-defined but far less challenging tracks. Comparing a 1.5 km per hour crawl while climbing boulders and river crossing vs. making up time at 5-6 km per hour on the well-constructed but foot-wearying track.
Another aspect was to know when to end the walk for the day and deal with the consequences of either overdoing it, not getting proper shelter, and having to make camp in rough conditions, or doing too little and struggling the following day to make up the distance.
The highlights of the trip were definitely the flora and fauna we found. My favorites include sightings of newts and finding carnivorous sundew plants, and an unexpected surprise in the Scottish highlands.
I'm happy to be continually learning while traveling. The further from the beaten track, the more peaceful, and more chances to see wildlife. I love to be completely removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Being offline really helps with mental health. My top tip while traveling, even if it's not too remote, is to be present. Being present allows you to really embrace the experience.
I will always appreciate the stage of our hike through the Falls of Glomach, looking down the cavernous gorge and feeling far from everything. Well, maybe not from the wild goats!
At the end of each day, when the weight of the backpack seems to increase, I was considering how much I appreciate my comfort and where the line is between overpacking and having an ideal base weight.
A controversial pillow truly helped me to recover by providing a comfortable night’s sleep, and I wouldn't take it out. Even more controversial food choices were the most discussed topic when we met other challenges. The tough choice is between having something to look forward to after a long day (a satisfying meal of real meat and fresh vegetables) or having a slightly lighter backpack but relying on dehydrated meals. While it wasn’t really resolved but I think you can guess my preference.
Besides all the heated debates about meal choices and the gram weight of your tent pegs, there were many opportunities for engaging in social activities with other challengers and the many other adventure seekers we met.
Tea parties in bothies, distillery tours, an unexpected prosecco reception...Even some last-minute deviations were added into the planned route on the advice of others, taking in a location providing teas and coffees to challengers, or to end in a bothy that we were otherwise unaware of. It definitely added to the experience, and also encouraged my resilience when dealing with uncertain situations and meeting new people, which was none too easy after a long period of relative isolation.
The most important outcome of the trip was to find the limits of my mind and body.
It was refreshing to understand how strong I can be with proper rest. After a long day with wet, blistered feet, there was time to recover and resume. At this stage, asking for help and trusting other people on the way were the most vital things to learn. I wouldn't change these two weeks for any other holidays.