West Highland Way

While I was playing tennis with a friend we started chatting about active holidays and the pleasure of walking. She mentioned something about having family in Scotland, near Fort William, and visiting every year to walk parts of the West Highland Way. My first question was: 'What's that?'. It's like finding a new toy just before Christmas where you see something, and you look and research and ask and think and finally, you decide you must have it. I really wanted to do it but with my big plans to Peru I put it on hold, and I even threatened her that I would crash their family trip the following year. This all changed when the world turned upside down with the pandemic in March 2023. My big plan got cancelled and my hopes for any kind of adventure were put on hold for the greater good. Even after the lockdown eased, I didn't think any kind of holiday was possible but then I heard somewhere that campsites in Scotland would be reopening in July, which sealed it for me. I booked a week off in August giving myself 2 months to research, plan and prepare for this trip. As luck would have it, I was asked to house-sit at my friend’s house in Pershore for a week in July. I used this opportunity to walk around Pershore area for a full week, 82 miles later I felt a bit better and fitter. I am nowhere close to old, but I am realistic when it comes to my limitations; I really didn't want to rush and push myself until my legs gave out and the fun factor disappeared from my trip so instead of a 6-day walk I extended my holiday and, including the overnight travel, I was ready for an 8-day adventure. Thanks for a fantastic idea, Lydia :)