
Summary
Day 1. Canisby to Dunnet Bay
Date: Tue 7th July
Distance: 29.2 Km (18.1 Miles)
Total distance covered: 38.2 Km (23.7 Miles)
Distance to go: 1590.1 Km (988 Miles)
In memory
Today, the first day of my walk, I will be walking in memory of my brother Gordon. The photo on the left shows him as a teenager. Gordon was successfully treated for Hairy Cell Leukaemia (HCL) but then sadly went on to develop bowel and then liver cancer. Secondary cancers are also a common feature of CLL, especially after chemo.
We went camping together in Scotland more than 40 years ago. Camping with Gordon, an ex Queen's Scout, was much more primitive than the conditions I hope to experience on my trip. I at least have a small gas stove to cook on and am hoping to stay most nights at a permanent campsite. Gordon always camped wild and collected dead wood for his fires. I remember the first night of a trip to Scotland, on deciding to set up camp, we suddenly realized we were in an area devoid of trees. No dead wood for a fire! We had to ride 10 miles back down the way we had come on his Norton 99 before we could find a wooded area to with enough fuel to cook an evening meal. I plan to eat most of my evening meals in pubs but I doubt if I will ever be served with mackerel as fresh as I ate on that trip. They were cooked and eaten within an hour of being taken from Loch Long.
Day 1 report
Today, I walked from the Youth Hostel to Brough via Mey. There I asked a man called Mervyn if I could leave my pack with him while I walked to Dunnet Head. Mervyn invited me in for a cup of tea and we had a chat. He recommended that I go to Dunnet Head and then come back and visit him. Dunnet Head is the most northerly point on the British Mainland. When I returned he had made lunch. Because he made me lunch I told him I would donate $35AUD in his name to the charity. After leaving Mervyn’s place I booked in at the Caravan Club Campsite at Dunnet. One of the best things about a walk like this is some of the chance meetings with friendly people such as Mervyn.
Best of wishes on your walk and I will keep updated on your adventure!
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