The latest from Colin: I’m thrilled to say that we’ve had a fantastic first day walking the first leg of the West Highland Way in support of my charity – the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation. It was an early start for myself and the 40 staff from Hotel du Vin and Malmaison. Sunrise didn’t break through until after 7.30am but undeterred we all made our way down to the welcoming warmth and glow of the Costa Coffee shop in Milngavie for early morning refreshments, much to the amusement of the local residents.
Following several rounds of coffee for all, Gavin (Hastings), Robert (Cook) CEO of Hotel du Vin Malmaison and I enjoyed several media opportunities – so a big thanks to everyone who came out to find out about the charity, speak to us and get some great photographs – albeit in the rain.
The weather brightened briefly, the sun broke through, unveiling some of the world’s most stunning countryside. It’s always good to be back in Scotland, breathe in that wonderful fresh air and enjoy the rich tapestry of the countryside.
We walked 21 miles today with a finishing time of seven hours, 3 sore toes, 2 blisters, a lost woolly hat. It was really tough, very wet and muddy
Highlights for today: the general upbeat morale from our team of walkers, who despite the rain and muddy terrain kept the pace going. We’re on target with the Hotel du Vin/Malmaison Group to raise an incredible amount of money and everyone who walked knows their efforts are greatly appreciated. A few amusing things happened – we were walking over the hill with only 1 mile to go (downhill) . Our legs were aching and we were covered in mud and we came across two young lads collecting mud for a geography field trip. Their faces were hilarious as they saw us emerge from the rain with a walking stick instead of a golf club in my hand and we had to stop to take a photo. All along the route we were greeted by people who had seen us on the TV – which was great
A big thanks to all for the great reception and warm welcome from the Glengoyne Distillery – who surprised us with a commemorative 10 year old bottle of malt whisky celebrating the walk and the achievements made today – I’m sure a wee dram will be a welcome addition to this evening’s much welcomed rest.
More on the walk tomorrow…
