Walking all the way from Scotland

[Fletcher]

Hi,

My name is Andrew and I live near Glasgow. Between May and September of 2007 I walked from home to Santiago. My route in the UK was more or less as Lands End/John o'Groats, but diverting to Plymouth to take a ferry to Roscoff. From Roscoff I followed the routes contained in two Randoguides - the Chemin de St Jacques in Brittany and the Voie de Tours. Having got used to the French guides I also used the Rando series guide along the Casmino Frances. If anyone needs any help planning this less-trodden way through UK and France I'd be happy to help.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Fletcher

What a pilgrimage adventure! I am certain your experience will be valuable to other pilgrims. Do you have a blog or on-line diary? If not it would be really interesting to hear the highs and lows and the differences between walking in the UK - accomodation etc and through France and Spain - apart from the temperatures!

Good to hear from you.

 

[sillydoll]

Amazing journey! It must be very difficult to get back to normal after that long trek.
There is a link on William's website - http://www.caminolinks.co.uk to a bike ride from Roscoff to Santiago and back to Bilbao. http://www.layte.com/

 

[Rae]

Wow, that sounds a long way - I commend you for doing it in the five months. We're going from London and allowing about 8 months (but we're doing some enormous zig-zags via some other shrines, that's my excuse). Like you, we wanted to set out from our front door!

It would be really good to hear more of your experience of walking through fairly non-pilgrim-ready areas: finding accommodation, cost, getting lost and so on.

And about the coming back after such a long time. Perhaps it's too soon to tell?

Look forward to hearing,

Rachel

PS Marion of the Confraternity in London might be interested to hear from you - if you haven't been in touch already. She's interested in the Brittany routes, I think.

 

[ivar]

Thank you for introducing yourself Fletcher, sounds like an interesting walk...

... and welcome to this forum!

Un saludo,
Ivar

 

[Fletcher]

"And about the coming back after such a long time. Perhaps it's too soon to tell?"

Very dificult. Just want to start walking again. I'd begun to get apprehensive even before the end of the walk, knowing it would soon be over and I'd have to go home and pick things up again. I resigned my job to get the time for the walk, and sold my house to get the money. Justified this on the grounds that I'd been to too sensible all my life and it was high time I did something really silly. Je ne regrette rien.

I attach a summary of travel details as a Word document. Not very detailed, as I think you should do your own thing. Anyone who'd like more of the spaces filled in, just say.

 

[brendan nolan]

Hi Fletcher,
Congratulations! Its great to meet another long distance pilgrim who stepped out from his own home. In 2005 I stepped out, age almost 60, from home at Tynemouth, near Newcastle upon Tyne, walked to the ferry at North Shields and then down from Amsterdam through Holland, Belgium and France, via Le Puy and then into Spain. The pilgrimage took about 4 months and was wondeerful. Unlike you I didn't have to resign my job or sell my house, but I had to walk.
Regarding the adjustment on returning home. Having lived at a different pace for a long time, coming back to the 'world' was quite odd. I think I was 'out of it' for about six months and had to re-adjust to relationships at home, it was difficult for me and for those I had left at home, but eventually got there.
Like you, I'm very happy to help anyone wanting assistance with planning.
Regards,
Brendan

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Fletcher

I very much enjoyed reading the brief account of your journey - with all of the difficulties you hint at! I think your experience is a great resrource for others and an encouragement too! If you get a little time could you mark your account with rough indicative times the various stages took? I'd find that really helpful.

Best wishes

John

 

[Fletcher]

Hi Johnie,

Actual days of walking (not counting rest days):

Home (Dumbarton) to the English border: 10 days
English border to Plymouth: 39 days
Roscoff to St Jean Pied de Port: 42 days
St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago: more or less as the French Randoguide.

My plan was to walk 80 miles a week, walking six days out of seven. I actually stuck to this up to the Spanish border, but then I got all excited and just walked every day. Any weight-watchers out there? I lost fifty pounds.

I attach day by day stages for Scotland/England/France as an Excel spreadsheet. My average daily distance was about 25 km. If you check some of the distances in England you will find some very short - just a few miles - and others rather long - getting on for 30 miles. The very short distances arose because of the severe weather. I stopped for a day a couple of times hoping for better weather but when it became obvious that this wasn't going to happen I'd walk a few sodden miles rather than do nothing. The long mileages are where the going was easy - a canal path on a dry day, for example.

 

[Arn]

Fletcher,

Your accomplishment is a testament to your perseverance and tenacity. Bad weather is only second to poor physical condition when it comes to folks prematurely ending a long distance trek. I am impressed by your weight loss. I must attribute that to the fact you covered all those miles before you reached Spain. I wouldn't eat the food either (just kidding); but Spanish food and vino...how can one lose at all. If there is a way, would someone please enlighten me. I love to walk...I love to eat and next to sleep, I love an occasional libation.

Good on ya Fletch!
Arn