“I need a new challenge”, I told myself. Having over the years walked many, if not all of Scotland’s recognised ways as well as bagging many Munros in my younger days the arrival of retirement in 2005 fuelled my passion for walking and afforded me both time and opportunity to walk more of my beautiful homeland.

Now in my sixties, I decided the challenge would have to be realistic, achievable, not limited by constraint of time and most importantly, in the interest of domestic bliss, could be fitted in with other commitments.

Over the years I have become more and more drawn to loch/lake side and coastal walking possibly because in general terms it tends to be much flatter, less energy sapping and kinder on ageing muscles and bones. That aside I justify my preference on the grounds that I find it much more interesting.

I have always particularly enjoyed walking beside the sea which most probably stems from being born in Fife and my happy childhood memories of spending many days out and family holidays in Burntisland, Kinghorn, Crail, Leven and Anstruther.

The choice came easy, I would walk Scotland’s coastline, starting at Berwick on Tweed just over the English border, walk north up the east coast to John O’Groats then west to Cape Wrath before finally turning south down the west coast to the English border at Gretna.

Fortunately my enthusiasm for this kind of walking is shared with three retired friends George, Bill and Phil (see “About us”) who expressed a keenness to join me on as many legs of the walk as they could fit in.

It became obvious when sitting down to plan how we go about it that some “Ground Rules” were needed and we agreed the following

· No set timetable , hopefully we would manage to walk a day a week and when further afield do overnight B& B to minimise travelling.

· When walking we would walk as near to the sea as we could and where possible and safe on beaches or at the waters edge.

· We would cross by the first bridge or ferry as we progressed e.g. Forth Bridge, Tay Bridge, Cromarty Ferry etc.

The first days walk from Berwick on Tweed to Eyemouth was completed on Monday 8th January, 2007. This was the start of what has been a wonderful challenging experience which has been well worth the effort. The natural beauty of the coastline walked so far has greatly surpassed our expectations and we feel privileged to have seen it and is the reason we deveoped the website to share our wonderful experience with others.

Morris Blair