Lands end John o groats (walking) LEJOG

Lands end John o groats (walking) LEJOG

Author
Discussion

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Antony Moxey said:
Ha, yes but that means the OP’s still significantly more than half way, plus he’s got all that wonderful scenery to enjoy and more whisky distilleries than you can shake a stick at. Even though I’m at the opposite end of the country, I’d say he’s got the best yet to come.
yes Amazing stuff!

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
i4got said:
Large Glengoyne while I ponder some big changes as a result of the first couple of days of walking in Scotland.
You can't leave that here like that! Hope you're just contemplating a kilt... biggrin

BoRED S2upid

19,641 posts

239 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
i4got said:
Large Glengoyne while I ponder some big changes as a result of the first couple of days of walking in Scotland.

You’re in Scotland 😳 how did that happen? You miss a thread for a week or so and he’s walked the length of England! Very well done.

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
There’s no getting away from the fact that the first two days in Scotland have been pretty rubbish. Virtually all day walking alongside roads or even when I get off the main roads its more tarmac.

I’m getting the impression that when I’m not on a proper trail there just aren’t enough scenic or off road routes between towns and villages.

I’m concerned that getting from the Southern Upland Way at Peebles through Inverleithing to the Cairngorms is going to involve a lot of time on the road and that's just not an enjoyable walk. I’m doing this to enjoy it not as some kind of endurance test.

So I've decided to change route after tomorrow at Moffat and head up west Scotland rather than east.

I’m going to head for Glasgow and walk up the West Highland Way to Fort William then up the Great Glen Way to Inverness.

Hopefully this will mean that I only have about 3 days of dreary walking to get to Glasgow then its easy street off road mainly all the way to John O Groats.

Tonight I need to do some major replanning but I’m confident it’s the right call. I don’t want to finish this and think I walked some great B roads in Scotland when it has so much more to offer.

Now back to the whisky.









Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
And the kilt??

Sounds like the right call to me! beer

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Bill said:
And the kilt??

Sounds like the right call to me! beer
Unfortunately I don’t have the legs to carry it off. My dad once described them as “Two woodbine hanging out of a packet”.

Only understandable by old smokers.

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Ha! Mine once told me I had good legs if I was a girl. irked

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Bill said:
Ha! Mine once told me I had good legs if I was a girl. irked
I shouldn’t laugh, but... rofl

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Some of my mates might (hopefully) catch you.

I suspect they die on the first hill.

https://www.cyclistsfc.org.uk/magnificent7.php

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
Mr E said:
Some of my mates might (hopefully) catch you.

I suspect they die on the first hill.

https://www.cyclistsfc.org.uk/magnificent7.php
Fantastic. I’ll watch out for them.

interstellar

3,225 posts

145 months

Friday 20th May 2022
quotequote all
According to their website they are in the lakes already so way past the op?

Bannock

4,462 posts

29 months

Monday 23rd May 2022
quotequote all
Hope the Glengoyne hasn't slowed you up too much!

I was surprised to hear your woes regarding lack of off-road routes, but then thinking about it maybe it's because in that part of the world people are more walking east-west rather than north-south, so not many vertical routes? Maybe. Is it just that there are fewer footpaths in Scotland than England overall I wonder, different land accessibility laws or something? I'd always assumed it was easier to go cross country on foot in Scotland, maybe that's just in the Highlands though rather than the farming country south of the central belt. Dunno, I'm just a fat lazy knacker who has only ever driven around Scotland. Hope things improve for you and the new route pans out.

PurpleTurtle

6,940 posts

143 months

Monday 23rd May 2022
quotequote all
Antony Moxey said:
Boringvolvodriver said:
Good progress being made I see.

How many more miles left - Scotland is a pretty big place - Google says 350 miles from Gretna Green but I suspect your route will be longer to avoid (as much as possible) the hills.
Isn’t it something ridiculous like 40% of the GB land mass? Scotland is HUGE!
As an Englishman who only tends to venture north of Hadrian's Wall for motorcycle tours I was similarly shocked the first time I travelled into Scotland, it's vastness is really quite something. I really like the sense of detachment one gets up there, it's like a different world compared to my busy suburban town.

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Monday 23rd May 2022
quotequote all
Bannock said:
Hope the Glengoyne hasn't slowed you up too much!

I was surprised to hear your woes regarding lack of off-road routes, but then thinking about it maybe it's because in that part of the world people are more walking east-west rather than north-south, so not many vertical routes? Maybe. Is it just that there are fewer footpaths in Scotland than England overall I wonder, different land accessibility laws or something? I'd always assumed it was easier to go cross country on foot in Scotland, maybe that's just in the Highlands though rather than the farming country south of the central belt. Dunno, I'm just a fat lazy knacker who has only ever driven around Scotland. Hope things improve for you and the new route pans out.
Think theres a not of truth in what you say (not the fat lazy knacker bit) - I think it will change as I get further north. It does seem that farms generally have fewer paths crossong them than in England. I think paths over open access land are more common.

Today I did my first hop over a fence and head in the right direction. It was not a good experience - boggy, muddy and full of gorse. Although it worked out in the end, I’ll think twice before doing it again.

Bonefish Blues

26,444 posts

222 months

Tuesday 24th May 2022
quotequote all
i4got said:
Mr E said:
Some of my mates might (hopefully) catch you.

I suspect they die on the first hill.

https://www.cyclistsfc.org.uk/magnificent7.php
Fantastic. I’ll watch out for them.
How will you recognise them though? scratchchin

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Tuesday 24th May 2022
quotequote all
Just outside Lanark now. For those who don’t know where that is (like me until 2 days ago) it’s about 30 miles south east of Glasgow.

Walking for the last few days has been a mixed bag. Lots of lanes and roads mixed with the odd farm or open access land path. Weather is weird - got a good soaking today
But looking ahead of me blue skies.
Never seen so much rain with so much blue in the sky.

Apart from Moffat not much luck in finding camp sites so having to slum it in b&b’s wink

Three more days walking to the start of the West Highland Way then a couple of days off in an Airbnb in Glasgow with my wife.

Looking forward to giving my feet a bit of a rest and also looking forward to starting a real Scottish trail.

Having some success in ticking off Scottish delicacies. Black pudding, square sausage, shortbread, tattie scones, irn bru, haggis. Still on the to do list - scotch pies and snowballs.

Tonight I’m having Black Chicken - chicken, Stornaway black pudding in a pepper sauce. Delicious.




Edited by i4got on Tuesday 24th May 19:07

J6542

1,574 posts

43 months

Tuesday 24th May 2022
quotequote all
Make sure to add a pizza crunch to your list of the delicious Scottish delicacies. Good luck with the rest of your journey.

GloverMart

11,773 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th May 2022
quotequote all
And a deep fried Mars bar. thumbup

Bannock

4,462 posts

29 months

Wednesday 25th May 2022
quotequote all
i4got said:
Never seen so much rain with so much blue in the sky.
Scotland in a nutshell.

i4got

Original Poster:

5,624 posts

77 months

Friday 27th May 2022
quotequote all
Walker to Milngavie the start of the West Highland way this morning. Now got a couple of days off staying in Glasgow with my wife before setting off on the WHW on Tuesday morning.

800 miles done and I reckon 300 to go over 20 walking days.

As luck would have it the place I’m staying is in George Square overlooking a big Wetherspoons called the Counting House so it will be getting my custom.

I’ve been following on FB and frequently in reality, a guy doing LEJOG a few days ahead of me. Yesterday he posted that his feet are shredded and he’s given up the walk 2 days short of Fort William. Must be gutting.

However it made me realise that I had 2 very long days (18/20 miles) on the WHW and it seems progress can be slow and tough so I’ve added in an extra stop to bring my average on the WHW down to 14 miles a day.

I don’t want to get this close and fail by trying to overdo it on one of the hardest sections of the walk.