Philip Williams Writer & video biographer - My charity walk

Sunday 30th September 2012

29/9/2012

A sunny and warm day but with a strong wind blowing up the Moray Firth. This was my last day of walking this year and I was heading for Inverness. I left Avoch and walked mostly along quiet lanes, but had a stretch of the A9 until I joined a cycle path which runs along it, and over the impressive Kessock Bridge, buffeted by the strong winds. As I reached the outskirts of Inverness the pain in my leg got a lot worse, probably a reaction to being nearly there!? As I hobbled up to the ‘Kingsmills Hotel’ I really felt quite emotional.

My walk has been interrupted this year for sad reasons, and I took a moment to take this in.

I will resume the walk on 3rd April 2013 from here, and if all goes according to plan, I aim to complete my entire trek by reaching my start & finish point - Brighton Pier - at the beginning of September 2013.

My thanks to everyone who supported me, and sponsored me this year.

Saturday 29th September 2012

28/9/2012

Last night finished after 1.00 am following an evening of local music and rounds of red wine and whisky, bought for me by both locals and visitors alike. Thank you all, particularly ‘George & Julie Whyte’. This morning I felt a bit slow under the circumstances, but not too bad! After breakfast I headed off along a combination of the A832 and quieter lanes, popping painkillers every so often. I was walking on the ‘Black Isle’, and very pretty it is too. I arrived in ‘Rosemarkie’ and then stayed on the shore road to Avoch where I stayed at the bustling ‘Station Hotel’.

Friday 28th September 2012

27/9/2012

This morning I was driven back to Balintore where I left off last night. The weather was a mixture of light rain and heavy rain! My body didn’t take long to start complaining about its various aches and pains so I dosed up on painkillers and plodded on. I reached Nigg where there is a huge yard for servicing and maintaining oil rigs and by now the weather had improved. I had my picnic lunch waiting for the small ferry (with a capacity for four cars) to take me over to Cromarty, about a mile across the mouth of the Cromarty Firth. I really needed to rest my back and found a lovely hotel called the ‘Royal Hotel’ where the ferry landed in Balblair which overlooked the water.

Thursday 27th September 2012

27/9/2012

The owners of ‘The Oystercatcher’ made a generous donation this morning. I walked up to Tarbat Ness before coming back along the coast to Balintore. I think my body knows that we are nearing the end of this leg because today my back really started playing up and I have developed ‘shin splint-like’ symptoms on my right leg. I know it isn’t a shin splint from previous experience, but it is painful nonetheless. I spoke to my ‘consultant’ (!) in such matters, 'Raff', and we are agreed that I will press on but I need to manage the injury accordingly. It would appear that my blistered feet have altered my walking gait due to the pain they are causing me, and in turn that is causing stress on my right leg and then referring problems up to my lower back. Oh well. I watched a pair of Tornado aircraft strafing targets on the local bombing range which was quite entertaining. At the end of the day I got a lift over to the ‘Carnegie Lodge Hotel’ in Tain to rest up for the evening.

Wednesday 26th September 2012

26/9/2012

All road walking today. Started off on a quiet lane and then onto the A9 along the verge, before bearing off to Tain and then along quiet roads to Portmahomack where I came across ‘The Oystercatcher' which also is a gastronomic experience of the loveliest and quirkiest kind.

Tuesday 25th September 2012

25/9/2012

Rest Day

Monday 24th September 2012

24/9/2012

Two lovely ladies from Northern Ireland who were staying at the hotel gave me a donation after breakfast as I was leaving. I was able to join a proper footpath for the first time in ages which ran along the water’s edge. A pure delight! It took me past ‘Dunrobin Castle’ which was a fine looking building. Then through Golspie and round the edge of Loch Fleet. I bumped into a guy called ‘Peaceful Warrior’ who was travelling round sections of the coastline – more of a wandering exploration of body and soul than the coastline I think, and I wished him well. I made it to Dornoch where I got a room at the ‘Dornoch Castle Hotel’, and then tended to my feet which are still adapting to their new insoles!

Sunday 23rd September 2012

23/9/2012

Rest Day

Saturday 22nd September 2012

22/9/2012

A bright day. After leaving the hotel I went via the local store to buy my packed lunch. In the shop a couple of the customers and staff made donations. Then, as I was leaving, I bumped into the hotel’s owner Larry, who had come down especially to give me a very generous donation. Thank you! I stayed on the A9 for most of the day, with a couple of detours off the road to avoid a verge-less section of the road. I had my lunch overlooking the beach near Lothbeg. I had considered getting to Golspie but ran out of puff and found myself at the ‘Royal Marine’ hotel in Brora who let me have a room. Although they were full they put me in a luxury apartment which is managed by the hotel. It overlooked the beach and sea, less than 200 metres away. It was glorious.

Friday 21st September 2012

21/9/2012

An easier day today. After breakfast, I packed a light rucksack as I would be staying at the hotel again tonight, and the owner drove me back to the bridge over ‘Langwell Water’ where I saw the otter last night.
I had a peek into the river but there was no sign of him, of course. I followed the river from the bridge down to the sea. It looked lovely. I crossed a small suspended footbridge to explore the beach there. Then back onto the A9 towards the hotel at Helmsdale.

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