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Jonathan is back now from his long trek in the Highlands of Stirling, and Perthshire The Rob Roy Way

Walking Day 1 Drymen to Aberfoyle. Already there is a report about this day a lovely walk along minor roads and forestry. We saw lots of wild flowers and Butterflies. Unfortunately Jonathan rubbed up a couple of blisters which were repaired by Compede plasters. He never complained about them again for the whole journey .

Walking day 2. Aberfoyle to Callander about 10 miles. This was Wednesday of our first week. When we saw the weather forecast for Tuesday we decided not to walk but to sit out the storm and use next Sunday to make up the time as we had planned not to walk on Sunday. You may have seen on the news that there were landslips all over Scotland and lots of flooding. The storm was indeed very powerful. Because of it although the next day was calm and sunny the paths were either running streams or ankle deep in mud. It was none the less a very attractive walk and Jonathan found it funny rather than difficult trying to keep his feet dry. We had fun tracking footsteps which had gone before us. We decided that there was a man, a woman and a dog. Imagine our delight then when we met them later on, our only error was that there were two dogs! The red butterflies continued to surround us. We also saw Red Kites today.

Walking Day 3. Callander to Strathyre. A very easy walk beside the river running out of Loch Lubnaig and on a Sustran's cycle route on the trackbed of a disused railway. The falls of Leny were wonderful following the rain earlier in the week. Jonathan enjoys the footpaths on old railways considering himself a railway buff! Weather was sunshine and calm as was almost all the rest of the week.

Walking day 4. Strathyre to Top of Glen Ogle. Another day almost all of which was on old rail track. This was one of the days to which Jonathan had been looking forward for weeks. We drive up to the West Highlands often and from the road we can clearly see a disused railway viaduct far away from the road. We walked over that viaduct on this walk so Jonathan was tickled pink . He had also watched Julia Bradbury's series on TV of Railway walks and she had walked over this viaduct also. He kept saying " ....but she didn't walk the whole way like us did she!" Jonathan had been getting a log book signed at various places enroute to prove that he had done the journey and to claim his certificate. Today he had to get it signed in the Rob Roy Bar at the King's House near Balquhidder. Well we couldn't just go in to get it signed without buying a little

Walking day 5. Glen Ogle to Ardreonaig on Loch Tayside. We took the Killin by pass as detailed in the way map which we were following. We got a bit lost on this one but eventually made it to Ardreonaig. It was another perfect day and one on which we were thankful that our mobile phones had a signal (they don't always in the Highlands). We were able to telephone Sue our back-up and tell her that we would be late in Ardreonaig.
Walking day 6. Ardreonaig to Acharn. We had intended taking the alternative route given on the RRW website for this day but I decided that it was probably a little too much for Jonathan as it involved a much longer distance. We did some of the longer route later on in the journey. That made today's walk an 8 miles walk all along very minor road. I generally dislike road walking but it was just such a perfect day weatherwise and with the open views along Loch Tay and across to Ben Lawers and Schiehallion that I said to Jonathan "if it could be like this everyday I would gladly walk the whole journey on roads" It was another one of those days where Jonathan just revelled in spotting the wild flowers. The Rowan berries and wild rose hips were luminescent and he had learned another name "scabious" and so delighted in spotting it and Scottish Bluebells (Hare Bells) in the hedgerows. The silence was a joy to listen to and the Red Butterflies were still all around. Today we saw Red Squirrels also but neither of us was quick enough to get a decent photograph!

Day 7. Acharn to Glen Quaich Road. Quite a short walk but very steep climb out of Acharn viewing the falls of Acharn from a folly built by an Earl of Breadalbane in the 1760's and also from a more modern viewing platform built by the army as a training exercise in the 1990's. Very pretty. The rest of the walk was also beautiful passing through a wood where native species are being planted and encouraged.

Day 8 Glen Quaich Road to Birks of Aberfeldy. This is where we did a piece of the extension to the walk by walking higher up the minor Glen Quaich Road and following the instructions from the internet site. It crossed open moorland, much of the day being alongside the Urlar Burn with pretty little waterfalls and Buzzards soaring overhead. The Urlar runs right into the "Birks of Aberfeldy" made famous by the poem of Robbie Burns. He is said to have sat in amongst the Birch (Birks) Trees looking at the high waterfalls whilst writing this poem. Another perfect day for sunshine and quiet out on the moors. Sue met us for a picnic at the bottom of the Birks where the trees were just showing their Autumn colours.

Day 9 Aberfeldy to Pitlochry our last day of RRW. Another perfect day first along the banks of the River Tay on another disused railway track, again with all the flowers, butterflies, and sunshine, amongst native trees. Jonathan was again delighted to photograph railway relics and bridges. This took us to Grantully about half of todays walk. Out of Grantully was about two and a half miles climb, mostly gentle but some steep sections. In the forest at the top of this climb is a prehistoric stone circle in a lovely forest glade so we decided to join the Druids and sat in the centre of it to eat our lunch. The walk down was easy and beautiful and Jonathan was pleased to greet his mum who was waiting for us outside to TIC where he got his log book signed. Some kind people had been asking Sue about her reasons for being there and between them gave her £12 sponsorship for Jonathan!!

We still had one day spare so we were tourists on the Friday. It made a perfect end to a wonderful two weeks. Sue and Jonathan found a book describing the Cateran Trail which is also in Highland Perthshire so that is Jonathan's wish for next years trek. Oh! well I was working on the idea of the Kintyre Way but it is Jonathan's choice!!

Jonathan and I need to say a huge thank you to Sue, Jonathan's Mum and my wife for delivering us to the beginning and collecting us at the end of each day and for having meals ready for us. We were very spoiled. I know that she enjoyed the Perthshire countryside, one reason to go back there next year for the Cateran trail using old drove roads.

We would like to thank all our generous supporters who have sponsored Jonathan. To date we have raised over £2,000 for Jennyruth Workshops with more on the way!! So, thank you very much to all of you!