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Walk This Way : Hills, Thrills and Headaches on Scotland's Trails
Gary Sutherland could never fathom hillwalkers and had always managed to ignore the West Highland Way despite living on the doorstep of Scotland's most famous trail. Then one day he decided to tackle it... and go further still. Much further. He would consecutively walk the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Speyside Way to complete a hat-trick of iconic Scottish treks. This despite the fact that hills gave him the heebie-jeebies, moors made him tremble and forests frightened him. Add to that his deep aversion to most forms of wildlife. Walk This Way is a tale of courage, cows, resilience, feral goats, ambition, Belgians, ludicrous ledges, cataclysmic quagmires and creepy messages spelt out in pine cones. From Loch Lomond to the Devil's Staircase, the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness, Malt Whisky Country to the mouth of the River Spey, the intrepid author attempts to conquer his fears and achieve his epic goal without his feet falling to bits.
146 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 17, 2024
I really enjoyed this personal account of the author's journey on foot across a substantial part of Scotland. The portrayal of my country in all its glory, taking in sun, wind, and rain, mountains, valleys, lochs and canals, feels entirely authentic. This veracity is confirmed by the camaraderie found and support received along the way, not just from native Scots, but from the vast majority of walkers encountered on this titanic journey. This book would inspire anyone to strap on a pair of boots and take to Scotland's trails, and rightly so. A very satisfying and rewarding read.
December 3, 2018
This book came on my radar when it popped up on my Goodreads feed after my friend read it. Having done the West Highland Way a few years so, I really enjoyed revisiting the trek through the author's words. And I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who struggled on the Devil's Staircase, though the author seemed too have a far easier time on Conic Hill (of Doom) than I did. Recommended to anyone who's done any of Scotland's long distance walks or who is interested in doing one in the future.
April 10, 2025
Gary has a great writing skill that takes you with him on his journey. As a person who can just manage 10k I appreciate his achievement. I'd like to visit one day, but if you get good weather it's beautiful, if it's bad it's not and he certainly had both!
A lovely read 📖
A lovely read 📖
December 30, 2018
Rather enjoyable and funny story. Definitely worth a read if you love to ramble in Scotland to.
April 28, 2020
An enjoyable account of three major walks in Scotland. Manages to give you a real sense of all three walks and is immensely funny.
January 16, 2022
2.5. Where did he keep getting all those socks from…
July 17, 2023
Repetitive and blandly descriptive. The joke about spotting a panther in Moray made me titter the first time but by the 25th repetition it was worse than stale it was tedious.
May 10, 2022
An entertaining story that made me nostalgic for my own trip in the West Highland Way, as well as making me want to try the others!
Not sure it would be that interesting to people that aren't familiar with the trails as there isn't a huge amount of description to help you imagine it!
Not sure it would be that interesting to people that aren't familiar with the trails as there isn't a huge amount of description to help you imagine it!
June 5, 2018
Tackling any of Scotland's great walks is a test of endurance but doing three of them back to back smacks a little of insanity, especially when you're a novice. That's the challenge Gary Sutherland sets himself in Walk This Way, heading off from his Glasgow abode on a 260-mile trek that will return him to the Speyside countryside of his childhood.
To get there, he has to complete three iconic walks – the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Speyside Way – in just 12 days, with scant time to rest his weary feet. There must be a masochistic side to the author – after all, this is the man who visited every senior football ground in Scotland for one of his former books, the excellent Hunting Grounds – but it's a pleasure being in his company as he embarks on his latest adventure.
Gary Sutherland's warm humour shines through again in this book as he focuses on the characters he meets more than the scenery he encounters, making it a far more enjoyable read for those of us who have little interest in hiking.
Most of these characters bizarrely turn out to be Belgian and you get an insight into the mentality of the walkers as you see them through Gary's eyes and he grows into one of the them during the journey.
Most of the humour stems from the sections when Gary is left alone though and his paranoia, not to mention an unfortunate fear of heights, sets in. It's hard not to laugh as he worries about being preyed on by a panther, with this preoccupation reaching its nadir when he discovers the skeleton of an animal during the walk.
Seeing words spelled out in pine cones also leads to fears about suffering the same kind of fate as the ill-fated Blair Witch documentary team, summing up the kind of thing that can happen when you're left in the great outdoors with only your insecurities for company.
But this hugely entertaining read is about more than just the loneliness of the long-distance walker and you get a real sense of Scotland and its countryside from Gary's adventure. Despite the huge distance covered on his walks, the book comes in at fewer than 150 pages so it's no test of endurance and I flew through it in a matter of days.
This is the third book I have read from Gary Sutherland – after Hunting Grounds and Great Balls of Fire, his exploration of Scottish festivals – and few travel writers are a more genial companion when exploring this beautiful and barmy land we call home.
To get there, he has to complete three iconic walks – the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way and Speyside Way – in just 12 days, with scant time to rest his weary feet. There must be a masochistic side to the author – after all, this is the man who visited every senior football ground in Scotland for one of his former books, the excellent Hunting Grounds – but it's a pleasure being in his company as he embarks on his latest adventure.
Gary Sutherland's warm humour shines through again in this book as he focuses on the characters he meets more than the scenery he encounters, making it a far more enjoyable read for those of us who have little interest in hiking.
Most of these characters bizarrely turn out to be Belgian and you get an insight into the mentality of the walkers as you see them through Gary's eyes and he grows into one of the them during the journey.
Most of the humour stems from the sections when Gary is left alone though and his paranoia, not to mention an unfortunate fear of heights, sets in. It's hard not to laugh as he worries about being preyed on by a panther, with this preoccupation reaching its nadir when he discovers the skeleton of an animal during the walk.
Seeing words spelled out in pine cones also leads to fears about suffering the same kind of fate as the ill-fated Blair Witch documentary team, summing up the kind of thing that can happen when you're left in the great outdoors with only your insecurities for company.
But this hugely entertaining read is about more than just the loneliness of the long-distance walker and you get a real sense of Scotland and its countryside from Gary's adventure. Despite the huge distance covered on his walks, the book comes in at fewer than 150 pages so it's no test of endurance and I flew through it in a matter of days.
This is the third book I have read from Gary Sutherland – after Hunting Grounds and Great Balls of Fire, his exploration of Scottish festivals – and few travel writers are a more genial companion when exploring this beautiful and barmy land we call home.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews