Category: psalms

Day 112 of the End to End in 2019 began just past Forsinard and continued north through Strath Halladale, named for the river Halladale. After yesterday’s rain it was in spate and flowing very quickly. However, more rain was also evident and I therefore decided not take the slightly more direct road route to the north, than the track/footpath we had wondered about.

Even so the Strath is full of stories. The bunkhouse is in the old mill which still has its mill wheel. I later met the bunkhouse manager along the road. The war memorial is well signed and it was not far from there that I met local resident, Sandra Train. She told me she was 80 years old and had previously written a book about the Strath and the people who had lived there. This had included her family and the evacuees they had shared their home with during WW2. Unfortunately despite my local enquiries, I was unable to find a copy of the book.

We walked side by side to the next lay-by and she told me what life had been like in the valley when she was a child in a cottage with no electricity or running water.

A year later in our own valley, Longdendale, Bob has managed to get a book about the old mills in these parts and what happened to them in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

I was able to take Bambi on a short drive, just to check everything was working and get some fuel, in the hope for a longer trip next week. The find of the day was a larger group of Broad Leaved Helleborines (a type of orchid) further up the trail that I habitually manage to go. All of which meant a well deserved ice cream when I got back.

From the remembered bible, from psalm 139:
You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know everything I do.

God is eye to eye with us, knowing, confirming, loving
(words from the liturgy of the Mobile Chapel of St Scholastica).

JAL: 07.08.2020 in Longdendale.

On day 111 of the End to End in 2019 I walked across part of the Flow Country. I had chosen this route on purpose so as to take in this precious habitat which has global importance. It is made of blanket bog and it should be wet and soggy. Drying out is one of the things you don’t want for blanket bog country. Neither do you want industrial scale destruction. Conservation for the area has become very important and the RSPB are amongst those organisations involved in this. The Flow Country is an important habitat for native and migratory birds.

If you don’t want to walk 111 days to get there, Forsinard Station is on the Far North Line. The waiting room houses a lot of information about the Flow.

Walking through an awesome landscape like this is not detracting from by weather. Having said that it did rain. Of course there would be little enough blanket bog without it. I recall that due to the prevailing wind one leg got wetter than the other.

Bob had been planning ahead and found a little cafe on the way into Forsinard. Guarded by a zealous sheep, the small menu was more than adequate to our needs and we tried some of almost all of it while we dried out. This latter idea proved somewhat pointless as the rain was set in for the day. Thunder broke overhead and we opted for a slice of chocolate cake.

Dodging between rain drops we made it to Forsinard station and from there I walked another mile down the road before my soggy bottom (and the rest of me) meant I threw in the towel and called it a day, if rather a wet one.

From the remembered bible, psalm 29: God’s voice is heard over the sea.

Here in this linking landscape: bog to bog bean, sun to sundew, curlew to clouds,
I am reminded of the connected cosmos and the Crucial Creator.
Here the lamb guards the door to the feast and the trains (mostly) run on time.
May we humans be as planet wise as the Lamb,
And mindful of the wet blanket that surrounds us,
remember One who embraces the world,
holding us together in harmony.

JAL: 06.08.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 110 of the End to End in 2019 made use of several stations on the Far North Line. This meant we could both walk together all day. We began at Helmsdale station and took the train to Kildonan, the end of yesterday’s walk. We were walking to the next station which is Kinbrace.

Although it is along a road all of the way it is a fairly quiet route and presented no problems. The Far North is the place of myths and legends and not a few disputes about how far north it really is. As it was there were still another 8 days walking to go until John O’Groats.

The landscape is full of signs of human activity dating back many generations: hut circles and brochs are common , as are sheepfolds but here and there an occasional burnt mound tells you that even our stone age forebears threw stuff away.

Kinbrace is another small gathering place which boasts a timber yard and a station, as well as a tiny tin chapel, erected in 1925. This has recently been restored into a community centre and through the kindness of a local resident I was able to visit. She had the key in her kitchen drawer.

As we get nearer the End we meet more Lejoggers. Helmsdale Hostel, our current resting place was full of them, and we exchanged End to Enders Tales with several, some going south, others going north like us. The merits of the JOGT were put to the test, especially as one traveller had made an almost crucial mistake at Golspie and camped below the tide line. He was soaked but otherwise unharmed when the tide came in.

From the remembered bible, psalm 91: Whoever lives with God, shelters in a holy place.

Holy One, you warm us with the intensity of your love,
you soak us with the abundant generosity of your company.
For the tough days and the challenging ways,
I am thankful for your presence:
may it be real now for those who struggle today.

JAL: 05.08.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 109 of the End to End in 2019 started at the Last Wolf Memorial and went to Kildonan Station via Glen Loth. If you’ve followed this blog you’ll know I’ve walked through many valleys and that I also live in one. My favourite book from childhood was about two children who got lost in a valley. Glen Loth was the sort of valley you might have been able to get lost in once.

For now there is one road through it, prone to snow and ice in winter. It rises from the bottom by the sea and keeps going. It’s one of those valleys that I thought I might not get through. As I walked the clouds brushed the tops of the encircling hills and then gradually the table cloth descended from one side or the other but by the time I reached the pass the visibility was improving slightly.

At the top there’s a sign to remind us of the highland clearances, part of a local ‘outdoor museum’ trail that wanders through these places. There were conifer plantations, wrecked a bit by prevailing winds, and heather, scabious and orchids along the road side. I met Bob near the pine woods and we went down to the next valley together.

Kildonan is a small dispersed settlement by the river. The nearby Kildonan Burn witnessed a gold rush in 1869 but today all is quiet. The small chapel was surprisingly open. A display there recalled that the story of Christianity in the valley began when St Ninian came this way in 390AD on his way to Orkney. There is a large cross slab by the farm near the chapel that is probably much older than the current building.

As I mentioned in 2019

I sang, somewhat untunefully, a version of Psalm 100 in the empty church at Kildonan. It was a simple place, well kept, although I wasn’t sure how often it was still used. Communion Table, font and pulpit its simple furnishings, speak of generations of a local community gathered here.

From the remembered bible, psalm 100: Know that God is the Holy One.

Cross-wise one, we see your mark on hills and valleys, stones and places;
mark us as your cross-wise people, knowing vulnerability and love,
witnesses to the timelessness of your Holiness,
Ready to move onto the the next valley at your call to build community,
to sing or fall silent in prayer or praise at the awesome nature of the universe.

JAL: 04.08.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 107 of the End to End in 2019 also took the John O’Groats Trail that I’d first tried yesterday. It was a welcome change from the A9 and as this was day two, it was becoming a mini habit. Bob came with me on the first section to Kirkton level crossing, then I  continued on the north side of Loch Fleet to Balblair Woods. In 2003 Hannah and I had seen the rare single wintergreen here. That is a spring flower. In late summer this old pine woodland shelters creeping ladies tresses, a small member of the orchid family.

We engaged in another of our habits at Golspie when we opted for a fish and chip lunch followed by Brora ice cream. The JOGT trail continued along the coast past Dunrobin Castle. The castle has its own station on the railway line due to the insistence of the Duke of Sutherland.

On a sunny day there were a lot of butterflies, wonderful views and the walk ended at the Iron Age Broch at Carn Laith, which is cared for by Historic Scotland. There are quite a few remains of brochs in the area pointing to a history that predates the Romans in Britain. It was lovely to walk next to the sea.

In 2020 I am surprised how quickly small habits build up:  writing, sewing, cooking and walking in any order are my current habits. If it’s wet more of the indoor ones. If it’s dry gardening may be added to the outdoor ones.

As I write this I run through the LEJOG route in my mind, surprised what I remember. But then fish and chips and ice cream are memorable anywhere.

From the remembered bible, Psalm 77
Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were invisible.

Sometimes I see footprints as I walk, signs that others have used this route.
Sometimes I see stones piled one on top of another, signs our forebears lived here.
Most days I see plants and insects, signs that other creatures value these places and we should too.
Whatever habits I may build up, may I be mindful of their effects on the smallest and most vulnerable;
may this be my commitment every time I walk through the green.

JAL: 02,08.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 103 of the End to End in 2019 was a wonderful and most memorable walk across the Black Isle. Last year was a butterfly summer such that warm winds from the south had blown thousands of Painted Lady butterflies to the area. I well remember walking round a corner into a huge cloud of them, more than I could count.

This year, I’ve not yet seen a Painted Lady, but winds have mostly been coming from the west. However, I have seen a lot of other butterflies. Today on our TPT Eastwards trek there were quite a lot. With regularly spaced buddleia along the small Yorkshire lanes there were plenty of Peacock and Red Admiral. But there were even more Large White and a small orange butterfly called Gatekeeper.

The best section of the walk was through Owston wood, a lovely shaded green route. Lunch was at Trumfleet, a village with a very large name stone. But more importantly it had two seats, one in a bus shelter for bad weather. The second, opposite it, in the sun was the one we choose. Trumfleet was a, small village but it had two seats!

• 

It also had a disused railway route unfortunately not used by the TPT. We therefore walked round to Braithwaite by road and finished in the car park by the New Junction Canal.

From the remembered bible, psalm 1. You will be happy is you do not ‘sit in the seat of scoffers’ but stick to God’s ways.

For the comfortable seat,
The lunch to scoff with a friend,
And the way ahead on a sunny day,
Thanks be to God.

JAL 29.07.2020 TPT east, Bentley to Braithwaite.

 

Day 95 of the End to End in 2019 continued along the Great Glen Way. The weather was better than the day before, the breakfast and sandwiches excellent. The route was lovely: a disused railway line for some of the way which was fairly easy going.

Some folks express surprise when I say I’ve walked LEJOG. After all, carrying several surplus stones as I do, I don’t look the epitome of fitness. Maybe they imagine it’s some kind of ultra event for the super fit. I’d say, that depends on how you do it. But this section was no more difficult that a walk on the Longdendale Trail which also includes a disused railway line.

Bridge of Oich is a place of three bridges, one of which, in the care of Historic Scotland, has a notice that says ‘Only 50 people allowed on the bridge at one time’. Perhaps it does get busy here and days of 50 people piling on the bridge in some sort of record attempt may have sometimes occurred. But not today. There were few people about and we were 48 short of the limit. I wonder if there was ever a party on the Bridge of Oich?

Meanwhile in 2020 in Longdendale I’m trying to get back up to walking fitness after my unscheduled stay in hospital now over a week ago. It’s easy to do the odd mile or two from our front, or back, door, and it’s quite easy to do anything up to 9 or 10 miles actually, but I’m a bit out of practice. So I set off for a morning walk , slowly. With lots of butterflies in the valley at the moment, that was fine as I could note them as I went along. It’s another 6 days before I’m allowed back into general circulation.

This year has been a year of numbers: those who have caught the virus, those who have died, days in quarantine, days in ICU, metres of social distance, number of people in your bubble or your shop. Our world has certainly got smaller and we are in physical contact with far fewer people on a regular basis. Tomorrow is our 29th Wedding Anniversary: I am thankful.

From last year’s blog,the remembered bible from Psalm 139
You see me, whether I am working or resting and you know everything I do.
Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

You have me in your eye,
you hold me by the hand,
you guide me through these steps,
you nurture me in body and mind:
You know my limits,
the way my human frailty works.
Keep me mindful, caring and supportive,
that others I meet may reach theirs
and together we can thrive.
JAL: 19.07.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 93 of the End to End in 2019 began early at Roy Bridge Station. Hannah was travelling south and we were waving her off. Roy Bridge station is very small, but it has now been used for arrivals or departures by all three of us (I used it in 2012).

The West Highland Line has several small stations. Another is Banavie, at the foot of Neptune’s Staircase on the Caledonian Canal, which was also part of today’s walking route. So it was good to know the Jacobite Express, a fairly well known steam train, was coming by around 10.15 am which was about the same time as I was due to be there. I was able to get some good photos as it chuffed through the otherwise deserted station on its way to Mallaig.

Day 93 was also a good day for free biscuits. I was given some at a small cafe near the bottom of the staircase and they kept me going for a bit along the side of the Caledonian Canal. I was walking up the Great Glen and this would be my route for quite a few days, longer even than on the WHW.

Towards the end of the walk, during which I’d seen quite a few butterfly orchids, it began to rain on the green landscape surrounding me. But what is rain except not yet vapourised water. I kept on steaming along towards Loch Lochy.

Last year I chose this remembered psalm: From Psalm 68
Holy One, you made abundant rain fall and restored your worn-out land.

The psalmist was writing in an arid landscape for which rain was essential to life. It’s also true here in the Highlands: temperate rain forest and, as we shall see later, blanket bog all need rain. Earlier in the Spring of 2020 it was very dry in Derbyshire but since June the rain has returned and the reservoirs have filled up again.

Yet quite often we see rain as something to avoid. I’m not that keen on walking in the rain, something that would not decrease in my time spent walking on the wet Great Glen Way. But I do admire water. Our ancestors would have made offerings to water. Clean water is a basic essential for life. Solid, liquid or gas: water is the stuff for me.

In this landscape, water makes its mark:
streams flow, pools fill, leaves drip.
As I walk through the rain,
I see the green land and rejoice.
I am grateful for water.

JAL: 17.07.2020 in Longdendale.

 

Day 92 of the End to End in 2019 was the last on the WHW. It had been, as expected a demanding route, but awesome. I’d been going slower than most walkers I’d seen but that wasn’t a problem. I’d seen some amazing stuff and even seemed to touch the sky at times.

The last section began in the middle of nowhere, a place where forestry operations had been going on for some time. This had left quite a few stumps in the ground but they did make handy resting places. Eventually I was over the hump and on a forestry track down towards Fort William. I could almost touch Ben Nevis on the other side of the valley, which was itself touching the sky. I could see the track up to the summit of the mountain but I didn’t take the route up that day.

Instead I met Bob and we had an ice cream in the Ben Nevis information centre. There was a short stretch to link up with the Great Glen Way, which was the next section of the route.

Moving onto 2020, the sky has been a theme here for several weeks. First it was rainbows, of which I’ve made a quite a few since the Spring. The sky often lowers itself towards the hills around here or opens itself up to more cosmic distances. Reflections are part of the beauty of the valley. This time last week, waking up in Tameside Hospital, I was glad of the sky, which was pretty much all I could see except for a large chimney. Today it is once again grey, as it has been for several days. Bits of lighter and darker grey come and go and there are also drips. My mum’s favourite hymn was: ‘Glad that I live am I, that the sky is blue.’ It continues ‘After the sun the rain; after the rain the sun; this is the way of life, since the world begun’.

From the remembered bible, psalm 19: Wow! How amazing is the sky, how clearly it shows what God can do: from each dawn announcement to nightfall it is repeated.

You repeat yourself, Cosmic God,
making your love clear everyday.
How gently the sky touches me,
confirming my place in the universe.
How urgent the imperative to respond,
treading carefully on the earth,
enjoying the caress of wind and rain,
embracing the day.

JAL: 16.07.2020 in Longdendale.

Day 91 of the End to End in 2019 was a day of multiple adventures. It was necessary to be a bit creative as we couldn’t get all three of us and all the things in the small car at once, and we had to move campsites today. So we came up with a plan that meant train lovers, Bob and Hannah, both got a bit of train time, I got to walk and we could meet up at the end of the day and retell our stories to each other. Like all of the best adventures, it ended with ice cream.

Hannah opted for a train trip to Corrour, a small station on the West Highland Line, which had a nice cafe, walks and trains. Bob took me to Kinlochleven to start my walk. Still on the WHW, day 91 was through a large valley called The Larigmoor. It was reputedly the escape route used by the McGregors in 1645 (who were running away from the Campbells). In 2020 there has been a lot of talk about history, but I bet there’s plenty of history in these islands most people don’t know. I particularly think the English are ignorant of Scottish history. They may know the bit about the spider, but little else.

The Larigmoor was an amazing walk, with its steep sides, frequent streams to ford and diverse plant life. It was one of the little talked of parts of the WHW. Not so dramatic as Rannoch Moor or challenging as the Devil’s Staircase, but still amazing. It was also a bit intimidating. Although not that far, in a large valley walking on your own it’s easy to wonder if you can walk that far.

In 2020 my recent stay in hospital was also anxiety provoking so I can understand folks are not using them so much as before lock down. I certainly didn’t expect to be admitted and I think the absence of visitors (it would just be too risky) also makes it feel a bit isolating. But I was safe and well cared for and discharged home in due course.

in 2019 I was thinking about this section of Psalm 23:

Even though I walk through Death’s valley, I am not afraid, for you are there for me.
Waves of anxiety come and go with me, mostly due to over thinking about others.
There is so much of life we cannot control, of course. Jesus doesn’t avoid Death’s valley, for himself or us. He is familiar with the landscape. He’s ready to walk through it again.

One year later, it is of course still very pertinent, just as I suspect it might have been in 1645 in the Larigmoor.

Companion Christ, you know this landscape:
your familiarity is a support to me in times of high anxiety.
There is something about walking that makes it a great adventure:
Even thought I am fearful at times, I am ready to walk on with you.

JAL 15.07.2020 in Longdendale.