- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances SJPP to SdC Oct/Nov 2015
Frances Burgos toSdC March/April 2016
W. Highland Way August 2016
Camino Somewhere September 2017
Some time ago--well, August 18th!--I left the USA for the UK. In brief, I asked my husband to walk the Camino with me, but he admitted that he really wanted to visit Scotland and England. In particular, he wanted to go to Patrington, England to see the home of some ancestors. He also wanted to go to the Scottish Highlands, to see the home of his Scottish clans.
I began the research, and discovered two long-distance walks: first, The John Muir Trail, which is fairly new. When I discovered the West Highland Way--one of the oldest of the Scottish long-distance walks--I knew it would be the best one for us. First, it began just north of Glasgow, in a small town called Milngavie (pronounce Mullguy), and it ended in the Highlands, near the seat of the Cameron clan--some of my husband's ancestors.
I knew that walking 96 miles through Scotland could present challenges (midges--a tiny, annoying mosquito swarm that means business) but because Jay is exceptionally fit, I did not anticipate that he would struggle with walking. Neither--neither!--of us did!
I will say about the WHW:
1. In my opinion, it is a bit more challenging than Camino Frances, because of the humidity, rain and roughness of some of the terrain. The walking around Lake Lommond was strenuous--narrow path with lots of rocks (slippery) and a few boulders to squeeze through, not to mention tree roots that you can catch your foot on.
2. It is more expensive than CF in Spain, at least for me. The food was quite good, but I adore the food in Spain so darn much.
3. The people in Scotland are wonderfully helpful and curious, as are the people I found in Spain. I also found that people from all over the world are walking the WHW.
4. For me (and your mileage may vary), it was most helpful to get a bit of help from our Camino Forum before going about how to get around London and how to find accommodations on the WHW. I used MacAdventures, which I discovered after reading someone's post about them wayyyyyy back in March. On the WHW, a lot of European younger folk were using sleeping bags and tents, and there are places to camp along the way, but with all the rain and midges, I would not want to. B and B's then were the way to go. Not as inexpensive as albergues though!
The WHW becomes amazingly beautiful in the later stages, as one walks along large mountains and hills. The greenery and the hills and mountains, and particularly Ben Nevis, are amazing. Ben Nevis, the largest mountain in the UK, is the centerpiece of the Fort William area, and we heard story after story of the climbs, the annual Ben Nevis race up and back, and in the local cemetery, several stones gave testimony to the respect that one MUST give the mountain.
Anyway, thanks to all of you, and yes--we survived navigating around the UK on SO MANY buses, trains, the tube. After several days in, we felt like old pro's, and are proof that old dogs can learn new tricks. My husband and I both returned from our first trip (in our lives) to the UK with a tremendous sense of gratitude and pleasure in how warmly we were received.
Buen Camino!
I began the research, and discovered two long-distance walks: first, The John Muir Trail, which is fairly new. When I discovered the West Highland Way--one of the oldest of the Scottish long-distance walks--I knew it would be the best one for us. First, it began just north of Glasgow, in a small town called Milngavie (pronounce Mullguy), and it ended in the Highlands, near the seat of the Cameron clan--some of my husband's ancestors.
I knew that walking 96 miles through Scotland could present challenges (midges--a tiny, annoying mosquito swarm that means business) but because Jay is exceptionally fit, I did not anticipate that he would struggle with walking. Neither--neither!--of us did!
I will say about the WHW:
1. In my opinion, it is a bit more challenging than Camino Frances, because of the humidity, rain and roughness of some of the terrain. The walking around Lake Lommond was strenuous--narrow path with lots of rocks (slippery) and a few boulders to squeeze through, not to mention tree roots that you can catch your foot on.
2. It is more expensive than CF in Spain, at least for me. The food was quite good, but I adore the food in Spain so darn much.
3. The people in Scotland are wonderfully helpful and curious, as are the people I found in Spain. I also found that people from all over the world are walking the WHW.
4. For me (and your mileage may vary), it was most helpful to get a bit of help from our Camino Forum before going about how to get around London and how to find accommodations on the WHW. I used MacAdventures, which I discovered after reading someone's post about them wayyyyyy back in March. On the WHW, a lot of European younger folk were using sleeping bags and tents, and there are places to camp along the way, but with all the rain and midges, I would not want to. B and B's then were the way to go. Not as inexpensive as albergues though!
The WHW becomes amazingly beautiful in the later stages, as one walks along large mountains and hills. The greenery and the hills and mountains, and particularly Ben Nevis, are amazing. Ben Nevis, the largest mountain in the UK, is the centerpiece of the Fort William area, and we heard story after story of the climbs, the annual Ben Nevis race up and back, and in the local cemetery, several stones gave testimony to the respect that one MUST give the mountain.
Anyway, thanks to all of you, and yes--we survived navigating around the UK on SO MANY buses, trains, the tube. After several days in, we felt like old pro's, and are proof that old dogs can learn new tricks. My husband and I both returned from our first trip (in our lives) to the UK with a tremendous sense of gratitude and pleasure in how warmly we were received.
Buen Camino!