Scottish Highlands on Foot

8:14 AM

We fly to Glasgow, with backpacks and well-broken-in shoes. From there, we walk towards Fort William — the classic West Highland Way. A trail of about 154 kilometers straight through the Scottish Highlands. Known for its rugged landscape, lochs, mist, rain (undoubtedly), and every now and then a pub at exactly the right moment.

And then, of course, there are the midges, which will likely accompany us on our journey. Hopefully the little pests will leave us alone so we can enjoy more of the nature.

If the weather cooperates a bit, we won’t stop in Fort William but continue on towards Inverness — the unofficial extension via the Great Glen Way. But first: the West Highland Way. No lists or route descriptions, but how it really is. What we experience along the way, where things get tough, and what turns out to be unexpectedly beautiful.

Scotland, here we come.

5:00 PM

Tja, waar doe je goed aan 🤔 Het weer in Schotland kan op één dag uit vier seizoenen bestaan. Lopen in een kort broekje, terwijl je belaagd wordt door mugjes, lijkt me ook niet de beste optie.

De temperaturen vallen gelukkig mee – gemiddeld zo’n 19 graden – en met kleding in laagjes kun je je redelijk goed voorbereiden op dit land. Of dat ook écht werkt, is natuurlijk een tweede. Dat ontdekken we pas als we ons daadwerkelijk in het hooggebergte bevinden.

Weer een leuke uitdaging.

7:00 PM

An hour back, a world away. Landing, through customs. Pick up the bag, remove the seal, backpacks on… and suddenly we’re standing here, an hour younger, in Scotland.

We take a taxi and drive through Glasgow to our little hotel. The city feels a bit grim. Gloomy streets, brown-red stone. Here and there rubbish, shuttered shops — it doesn’t exactly offer a warm or welcoming first impression. The people, on the other hand, are friendly, though they speak incredibly fast.

First, let’s settle in. Tomorrow is another day.