Scotland Hiking Tips
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m going to die!”? Looking at Google maps gave me a lovely panoramic bird’s eye view of Stirling Castle and the surrounding area. *GULP!* If you have been to Stirling, or seen pictures, you will realize that it is ALL HILL. In fact, everywhere we are going, we will be walking/hiking A LOT, and it is all up and down hills. I walk. That’s how I get around. I don’t GO on walks. I hike. As in, I hike around with the horses. I don’t actually GO on hikes. Well, that’s now past tense. I DO go on walks and hikes now! I have to get in shape so I don’t die in Scotland. I even have a Jaunty Scotty walking partner to get me into shape!
Fiona and I have the perfect training ground just going out the front gate. I’ve always appreciated being able to go trail riding right out the gate and up the road. There’s even a perfect hill for putting good manners on any horse! By the time you reach the top, they are begging to stop while huffing and puffing. I know exactly how they feel! One month into walking, with seven months before we leave, I am feeling optimistic about being in shape for Scotland. Even with there being some slick spots and very little of what I’m walking being actually flat, we’re averaging 2.5 miles per hour. We are working at walking for over an hour, but lack of daylight before I have to get ready for work is not helping to increase walking time right now. Does anyone have any hiking advice or experiences to share?
