Author’s Note

The Isle of Skye is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen, with its dramatic mountains, spectacular sea views, and alien-looking formations like the Quiraing. I tried to stay as faithful to the Skye Trail wherever I could, but I did take a liberty or two here and there. I can only hope I did justice to this magnificent place, and that I’ve inspired you to put it on your bucket list of places to visit. And if you do get there, you should make a point of taking a wee ramble up Glen Sligachan, from the hotel toward Marsco, or walking the path through the Quiraing (but watch out for that wind!), even if the rest of it is too intimidating. But don’t try to hike without the proper gear and safety precautions!

If you decide to do the Skye Trail—or want to experience other parts of Scotland on foot—check out Thistle Trekking, the company that inspired the fictional Scotland By Foot. When I got it into my head a few years ago that I wanted to walk Scotland’s ninety-six-mile West Highland Way, I knew I had to do it with a guide. My search led me to Thistle Trekking, which offers guided walks and scrambles all over Scotland, as well as in England and Wales. The director, Scarlet Trevett, is fabulous. She patiently answered the many questions I had prior to my booking, and advised me on which trail I should attempt next, given the difficulties I’d had on the WHW.

Thistle Trekking attends to every detail (including baggage schlepping) so that you can just show up and walk. You have a highly-qualified Mountain Leader as your guide, and you’ll have a small group of people to walk with. I went by myself, and the people in my group, whether they were married couples, singles, or family groups, were wonderful and welcoming, and I made friends that I reunited with on the East Highland Way trail the following year, and with whom I hope to walk again next year as well.

If you’re looking for an amazing experience walking over Scotland’s hills (big and small), through her glens and bogs, and along her sparkling lochs, you can do no better than Thistle Trekking: www.thistletrekking.co.uk.

And if Wales is on your bucket list, Alex Kendall, the guide and Mountain Leader who helped me get through the West Highland Way (including lingering at the back with me as I struggled up the damn hills), has written a guidebook to walking the Snowdonia Way, a long-distance trail in Wales’s Snowdonia National Park. You can check it out here: https://www.cicerone.co.uk/the-snowdonia-way.