Hullo. How are you? I hope you are having a good day. I’m Mark and I’m walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats…
The day started with a full Scottish breakfast, which I wouldn’t usually recommend at the beginning of a hike, but Day 45 was a flat, relatively short walk along the easy Clyde Walkway.
The first section was a pleasant amble through woodland at the side of the river and it was nice to watch all of the fishermen casting off in the middle of the river on this cold, bright morning.
At Garrion Farm, the path leaves the river bank for a while as it avoids the property and heads across farmland.
This meant a period of walk with great views across fields and beyond. The day was already warming up and the cattle appeared to have decided they were having a lazy day.
It was then back into woodland and towards the river once more.
I chatted to a guy who was walking a couple of dogs and he told me they were about to have their first swim of the year now that “summer’s here”, which seemed a bit optimistic when the temperature was just 6 degrees centigrade, but in Scotland it’s a case of take any good weather you get.
The trail carried on along the course of the Clyde on well defined and easygoing footpaths, which the cows shared, giving them access to water whenever they pleased.
Although that path was peaceful and quiet, it was by now just a few hundred yards from Motherwell, which gave a strange sense of being in the countryside but with urban reminders at every turn.
I passed under the fine rail bridge near Airbles station and continued on towards Strathclyde Country Park.
Emerging into the country park was pleasant – it was busy with happy families, university rowing teams and excited school groups and their stressed looking teachers.
It has been many years since I was last in the park, so it was nice to be walking through it once more and uplifting to see how well used it still is.
It was then a short stint of road walking to Bellshill where I came across its most celebrated resident, Billy McNeill, of course. I then headed off to find my hotel and somewhere to eat.
The Day 45 Vlog
Fundraising for MacMillan Cancer Support
As I walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, I am hoping to raise £10,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support, who do such a wonderful job of supporting families through the most difficult times. If you are able to spare any amount and would like to donate to MacMillan, please do so through my Just Giving Page.
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