The third and final trail of my ‘Northern Trinity’ for 2025, the Yorks Dales Way and Yorks Wolds Way both already bagged. Day 1 – Cresswell to Alnmouth It took me a while to get to the start point. The … Continue reading Northumberland Coastal Path
I’d planned the Wolds Way as stage 2 of my Northern trinity. I’d bagged the Dales Way in May and the Northumberland Coast Path is already penciled in for September. The Wolds Way is a trail that had sparked my … Continue reading The Yorkshire Wolds Way
Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a weeks hiking as much as I had this one. I’d ordered the Harvey map at least 6 months beforehand and had spent the past few months meticulously plotting mileage and booking campsites. More importantly I’d also picked up ‘The best pubs in the Yorkshire Dales’ in paperback from the charity shop – a vital source of information. I was ready, and then just over a week before the start something happened. My Mum died. She’d had cancer for a while and things had taken … Continue reading The Dales Way
In July 2024 I walked the 192 mile Coast to Coast trail from St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay. I used a mix of campsites, hostels and B&Bs along the way. I took 13.5 days to complete the walk and that included a couple of very short days (<10 miles). This was an experience of a lifetime, I’d definitely recommend the Coast to Coast to anyone that might be considering it. Day 1 – St Bees to Ennerdale Water It had been a long time coming but finally I’d arrived in St Bees at the start of Alfred Wainwrights Coast … Continue reading The Coast to Coast
I walked the 79 mile Rob Roy Way in May 2024 plus a 4 miles detour to visit the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor at Balquidder. This was a ‘tough on the feet’ walk mostly along the National cycle trail. Day 1 – Drymen to Aberfoyle Early start this morning catching the 0625hrs train from Rugby to Glasgow, changing to Glasgow Queen Street for a local train to Balloch, followed by a 20min cab ride to Drymen. It was early afternoon by the time I arrived at the official start (a bus stop) of the Rob Roy Way. The good … Continue reading The Rob Roy Way
I’m carrying over some annual leave and I’ve got the green light from Mrs Rusty Outside, so 2024 is going to be the year I finally get to have my own Coast to Coast adventure. I’ve been mulling/planning this for about 3 years now and so this July I’ll be setting off to the start at St Bees, walking 192 miles across 3 national parks, arriving 2 weeks later (I hope!) at Robin Hoods Bay. Cannot wait!! Continue reading My Coast to Coast adventure
The Affric Kintail Way is a 44 mile route stretching from Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness to Morvich on the west coast of Scotland. The trail takes in the town of Cannich then rises high above Loch Beinn a M’headhoin into the magnificent Glen Affric before finishing in the village of Morvich. This is very much a trail of 2 halves. The first 25 or so miles on tarmac and forestry tracks followed by remote paths into the valleys of Glen Affric. Day 1 – Drumnadrochit to Cannich (13 miles) After my toils on the Snowdonia Way I decided to give … Continue reading Affric Kintail Way
Day 3 – Great Langdale to Keswick A real highlight today taking in the sharp climb up Stake Pass and along the beck to Keswick. I left the campsite at Langdale early – the onsite shop doesn’t open until 8am and I didn’t want to hang about so I was away just after 06:30. What a breathtaking walk today was! The climb up Stake pass was doubly tough as I’d somehow missed the path on the map and so I spent an hour or so scrambling over rocks and sheep until I realised I’d gone very wrong! It all got … Continue reading Cumbria Way part 2 – Great Langdale to Carlisle
Day 1 – Ulverston to Coniston The Cumbria Way is a path that had been on my radar for a while so I was delighted to have finally arrived in Ulverston to give it a crack! Overhead cable problems meant that I arrive a little later than planned in Ulvertson so I knew I was going to be facing a tough afternoon to get to Coniston, particularly as it was touching a very warm 25 degrees. Not to be deterred I stocked up with a Tesco meal deal and I was off… Day 1 felt never ending, lots of farmers … Continue reading Cumbria Way part 1 – Ulverston to Great Langdale
Day 4 – Fort Augustus to Altsigh It’s a steep climb out of Fort Augustus to start the day and I was certainly glad to have paid for breakfast at Morags beforehand, especially to soak up some of the IPAs from the night before! Once at the top the views start to open up over Loch Ness – it’s a real difference to staring at a canal for hours on end! It was quite misty up top and it quickly closed in so that visibility was pretty poor along the ridge line. Out of the mist I stumbled across a … Continue reading Great Glen Way part 2 – Fort Augustus to Inverness
Rusty Outside 