FALKIRK WALKS AND TALKS

Walking in Scotland and beyond

Walking is often a time where the linear conflicts with the discursive: whilst heading for a destination, the happenstance often leads to the better (?) way.

As far as I am concerned the “go to” website is without a doubt the walkhighlands website -

Returning to the sheep….

The walkhighlands.co.uk site is a/the comprehensive guide to all things walking and has a comprehensive repertoire of walks all over Scotland. It is, as the weegies say, pure dead brilliant.

The site reflects walking conversations, sometimes just with myself, sometimes with others. It takes in sights, sounds and thoughts on some of (mostly) Scotland’s long distance walks. I walk alone and in company, and the walks are sometimes or perhaps recorded on this site. I just like the walking, the writing, and getting pictures that please me.

There is a Scots words, stravaig. It means to wander about aimlessly, which just about covers what I do.

But, as Bono says, I still haven’t found what I’ve been looking for.

The website is always a work in progress. It includes some short walks, some other diversions, but reflects walks within Scotland. I am not looking to write a guide to routes as such, although there will be maps that guide. Rather, this is a reflection of my experience of walking through Scotland. The writing reflects my thoughts, interests and impressions.

The site often reflects walking conversations, sometimes just with myself, sometimes with others. It takes in sights, sounds and thoughts on some of (mostly) Scotland’s long distance walks. I walk alone and in company, and the walks are recorded on this site. I just like the walking, the writing, getting the pictures that please me…

There is a Scots word, “stravaig”. It means to wander about aimlessly, which just about covers what I do. But, in the words of U2, I still haven’t found what I’ve been looking for.

The current list of walks described or in process on this website are as follows:

Other useful sites

The impact of Covid meant that walking was eased with the April 2021 lifting of restrictions temporarily enabling for a normal service being resumed. Although perhaps things may never be the same again.

Neil and I had managed a couple of walks in the grey areas of what you could or could not do in the way of exercise. Before Covid really hit, shorter walks included Cockleroy, Beecraigs, Hillend Reservoir and Loch Leven.

Prior to lock down, bites were taken out of the Great Glen Way and the Affric Kintail Way, variety being the spice of life.

Neil and I had previously completed both the Rob Roy Way and the East Highland Way, but they have not been written up in the way that the John Muir and the Fife Pilgrim Way were. But there are photos! perhaps…..

The Fife Coastal is a work in progress, written retrospectively: one leg to complete (Tayport to Newburgh). I have to say the Fife Coastal Path is spectacularly understated, but that the Tayport to Newburgh extension is a stage too many.

But the walk across the bridge is very tempting…. And is do-able. And potentially, crossing the Tay Bridge could connect coastal walks together to follow paths further up the coast.

The LDWA and Visit Scotland sites are general sites. Worth a look to narrow down options, but lack the detail of the walkhighlands site.

John Muir and the Fife Coastal were great to walk and accessibility was good, particularly if you have one of those nice bus passes. We were less enthused by the Fife Pilgrim Way…

The Classic Routes are the West Highland Way and the Southern Upland Way. The West Highland is an extremely popular route which is, according to the mighty Neil, well worth doing. I am slowly being worn down by him and will likely join the throng on the WHW. But our next efforts may be the Southern Upland Way, which is far less popular (see accounts of walkers in entries on the walkhighlands site about the Southern Upland Way). Neil has played a little with the route already, and we are both aware that this is a real challenge not least because of the logistics involved.

I do need to talk about Neil with whom I have walked many a mile, climbing many hills, sleeping in bothies and so on. We are different but also similar in parts. We are close friends and tolerate each others’ “oddness’s”. We have walked for days together, in good weather and in bad. I have walked over 40 Munros: Neil is close to completion of the Munro round. We walk for different reasons.

Neil and I have often walked the same path but the different way: Neil is a determined walker who likes to aim to reach the end. Me? I’m more interested in the (I’m trying to avoid the word journey).

Over the years, Neil and I have mixed long distance footpaths with walking the hills. Most of my walking has been long distance paths, with a side order of hills. Neil has being doing serious walking with the Falkirk club, and the whole COVID thing has impacted badly on the walking: for instance, Neil targeted completing the Munros “this year”. Well last year, but the weather was foul, so this year….

So, I have been walking paths and in my head for over 60 years: I still don’t know what I’m looking for, but as everyone knows all who wander are not lost