What a great day … unexpected … and a super Magical Moment … what it is? I will update tomorrow, as I need to first get ready and have a beer.
But I made it!
Yesterday’s walk was actually not as disturbing as I thought it would be considering it went along roads most of the time. Very little traffic and actually the same for today — the last 10k along the spectacular coastline. Did not meet a single walker.
The campsite yesterday turned out to be pretty good for a last one.
I first walked for 5k along a single lane road … no car … then had to cross a very busy 4 lane road and ended up “climbing” my last hill on small paths before I could see and smell the North Sea.
When I looked at the map yesterday I saw a distillery close to my route and as a semi-professional in this field decided to take a detour.
ARBIKIE was reached, a “FARM TO BOTTLE” rye distillery in private hands that saw heavy investment including a beautiful shop and restaurant.
And then MAGIC happened again. I was ordering some breakfast (did not eat anything up to then) and asked to see one of the distillers with my background as a director of GLENWYVIS.
The person that eventually shows up is Christian, who I studied with at HERIOT WATT UNIVERSITY (Master of Science in Brewing & Distilling). This is really magic, as I initially did not plan that route, did not want to go to the distillery, did not know about Christian’s job there, and – that is the real weird part – had talked to my HWU professor for some help who thought about Christian and send a mail about it the day I made it there (but after the fact). Too many coincidences!
Anyway, very happy about that encounter especially since Christian gave me a private tour of the place. Pretty impressive storage with 6.000 casks … my quick estimate was a market value of around GBP 30 Mio.!!!
After leaving ARBIKIE I was basically at the North Sea, but my final destination (the lighthouse at SCURDIE NESS) was still 10k away.
I walked by another mansion – DUNNICALD CASTLE – and as walker used an access off the main entrance that led me through the garden to the castle.
Then realised that the castle was closed and I was the only visitor … great experiences when you walk / travel off the normal routes.
After that I went to the coast line at ELEPHANT ROCK and walked along the beautiful and spectacular coast line to SCURDIE NESS.
I was very happy to reach the point, dip my shoes and hands in the NORTH SEA, throw the little stone and shell that I brought with me from PLOCKTON into the sea, and enjoyed my GLENWYVIS DROVER whisky (also carried all the way) next to the 25th anniversary cairn of the TGOC. What a wonderful finish!
That was the end of the TGOC 2026, but not the end of my walk … still another 5k from the lighthouse to the challenge headquarters at the PARK HOTEL in MONTROSE. And just like the days before … the last 5k are always the hardest 😱.
🚶♂️ : 0 (really)
🦌 : 0
OURA: Readiness 82, Sleep 85, Activity 82 — WOW!
Total of 27km and 300 altitude metres.
Learnings:
- When you believe you have 95% managed and accomplished … you often find that the last 5% are more than you expected.
Magic Moments:
- Please read the story above and tell me that this was not a magic moment
I already published a short summary on LINKEDIN … but will follow up with a more comprehensive one here in the next days. Now on my way to Elphin / Ullapool (train from Montrose to Aberdeen, then train from Aberdeen to Inverness, and finally a bus from Inverness to Ullapool(.
My Travel Adventures 