East Highland Way Journal • Day 1
The East Highland Way is a 137 km (82 mile) long-distance trail stretching from Fort William to Aviemore through the Scottish Highlands. Over the next few posts, I’m sharing my journey one day at a time. Not as a guide to ticking off miles, but as an honest journal of the landscapes, challenges and quiet moments that stayed with me along the way.
This first chapter follows my walk from Fort William to Spean Bridge, where the adventure began with heavy rain, broken gear and a reminder that the trail had its own plans for me.
I’m sitting on a train right now, pressed against the train window not only to see rainy views of never ending greenery of Scottish highlands but as well because my backpack leaning on me is probably the biggest and heaviest I’ve ever carried.
Leaving
It weights eighteen kilograms…eighteen!
Researching and planning for East Highland Way led me to believe I won’t find suitable shop and suitable food in the first village I’ll pass – Spean Bridge and so instead of carrying heavy cans I’ve decided to carry food for the longest stretch ever.
I have to have food for at least 5 days. As I find out later I carried quite a bit more than that, but we will get there.
It is raining quite heavily outside mimicking my own emotions when I was saying goodbyes. Part of me wishes my partner to be here with me but I know there is a part of me who needs to fulfil her hunger for space and freedom away from everyone and everything.
Just me and hills for a week..
Challenging weather and experiences I yet am about to discover.
As I watch country quickly pass by I feel a knot in my stomach, anxiety has been accompanying me for few days now as the date has been approaching and I have started packing.
About the East Highland Way
East Highland Way is one of less known long distance hikes in Scottish Highlands. It is not even an official path, but rather connecting one through woodland tracks between Fort William and Aviemore – well known highland village in Cairngorms National Park. The winding path follows fairly sparsely marked woodland tracks 134km until they reach their destination in the east.
This journey has been on my radar for few years now and as it connects to well known West Highland Way, I’ve always wished to walk it. Finally I got my wish fulfilled and this journey turned to be everything else than I expected it to be.
For starters let’s just say it is not similar to West Highland Way in any way even though they share similar name. This path is the most quiet one I have experienced so far, the most remote one and the most challenging one due to long stretches of remoteness and endless solitude. Yet maybe exactly because of such, it is the most surprising long distance hike I have walked so far.
JOIN ME!
Come with me on unexpected spiritual journey, journey which tested my limits not only physically but as well mentally and emotionally, journey on which I became someone else, someone who was there maybe for a very long time, but I got to meet her only now.
You can join me through written word (I will update blogs here as I manage to write them), but as well through video (on later date) in which for a first time I finally am able to include drone footage. And you can even join me through upcoming paintings as this journey has inspired my yet to be discovered artistic expression about this journey.
Can’t wait to share this with you :)
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