A Stroll Up Scotland

My plan is to walk the 864km of the Scottish National Trail, between May and June 2022*.

The trail, devised by outdoors writer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish, runs from the Scottish border to Cape Wrath, through central Scotland, the Cairngorm, and the damp, boggy and midgy North West. The offical start is at the Kirk Yetholm Hostel, but I am planning to start a couple of days' walk further south west, at Kirkton, where my paternal grandmother was brought up.

It's always sunny, in Scotland

My estimated timings and walks - from the excellent WalkHighlands website, are:

 

Estimated Date	Stage		Time
2/5/2022	Kirkton to Ferniehirst	16km	4-5 hours
3/5/2022	Ferniehirst to Kirk Yetholm	25km	6-8 hours
4/5/2022	Kirk Yetholm - Harestanes	28km	6-8 hours
5/5/2022	Harestanes to Melrose	24km	6-7 hours
6/5/2022	Melrose to Traquair	29km	6-8 hours
7/5/2022	Traquair to Peebles	12km	3 hours
8/5/2022	Peebles to West Linton	21km	5-6 hours
9/5/2022	West Linton to Balerno	19.25km	5-6 hours
10/5/2022	Balerno to Slateford	8.5km	2 hours
11/5/2022	Stop in Edinburgh
12/5/2022	Slateford to Ratho	9.5km	2-3 hours
13/5/2022	Ratho to Linlithgow	21km	4-5 hours
14/5/2022	Linlithgow to Falkirk	14.5km	3.5-4 hours
15/5/2022	Falkirk to Kilsyth	18km	4-5 hours
16/5/2022	Kilsyth to Milngavie	21.25km	5-5.5 hours
17/5/2022	Stop in Glasgow
18/5/2022	Milngavie to Drymen	19km	5-6 hours
19/5/2022	Drymen to Aberfoyle	17.5km	4.5-5 hours
20/5/2022	Aberfoyle to Callander	15.25km	4.5-5 hours
21/5/2022	Callander to Comrie	26.5km	6.5-7.5 hours
22/5/2022	Comrie to Loch Freuchie	30km	8-9 hours
23/5/2022	L. Freuchie to Aberfeldy	20km	4.5-5.5 hours
24/5/2022	Aberfeldy to Pitlochry	15km	4-5 hours
25/5/2022	Pitlochry to Blair Atholl	13.75km	3-3.5 hours
26/5/2022	Blair Atholl to Bynack	27km	6.5-7.5 hours
27/5/2022	Bynack to Glen Feshie	21.25km	5.5-6.5 hours
28/5/2022	Glen Feshie to Kingussie	23.5km	6-7 hours
29/5/2022	Stop in Kingussie
30/5/2022	Kingussie to Laggan	23.25km	6.5-7 hours
31/5/2022	Laggan to Fort Augustus	39.5km	10-12 hours
1/6/2022	Fort Augustus - Mandally	18.75km	4-4.5 hours
2/6/2022	Mandally to Poulary	19.5km	4-4.5 hours
3/6/2022	Poulary to Cluanie	17.5km	5-6 hours
4/6/2022	Cluanie to Morvich	26km	6.5-7 hours
5-6/6/2022	Stop at Morvich
7/6/2022	Morvich to Maol-bhuidhe	22.5 km	6.5-7 hours
8/6/2022	Maol-bhuidhe to Craig	24.25 km	6.5-7.5 hours
9/6/2022	Craig to Kinlochewe	16.5 km	4-5 hours
10/6/2022	Kinlochewe to Shenavall	28.25 km	7-8 hours
11/6/2022	Shenavall to Inverlael	18.75 km	4-5 hours
12/6/2022	Inverlael to Oykel Bridge	34.5 km	8-11 hours
13/6/2022	Oykel Br. to Inchnadamph	31.5 km	8-11 hours
14/6/2022	Inchnadamph- Kylestrome	27.5km	10-11 hours
15/6/2022	Kylestrome - Rhiconich	29.75km	9-11 hours
16/6/2022	Rhiconich - Sandwood	19km	4.5-5 hours
17/6/2022	Sandwood - Cape Wrath	12.5km	3.5-4.5 hours

 

I have added two days onto the standard route, so that I can start in Kirkton - there are family-history connections with the place, and pass Ferniehirst Castle, the seat of Clan Kerr - I wear the Kerr tartan.

 

 *Delayed because of Covid. My original plan was to do this in...2020, the Year of Covid. In the summer of that year it looked like we might be out of lockdown by the following Spring. Hopeless forecasting, because here we are in January 2022 and just getting out of lockdown now.