Best Foot Forward For Fiona

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me through this challenge, your generosity with donations is amazing but really just goes to show how highly thought of Fiona was, the amount raised will be a great help to the three charities we have chosen to support. Fiona touched so many lives with her kindness and generosity, she was a true giver not a taker and I was incredibly lucky to spend nearly 36 years of my life with her and for that I will always be thankful. How lucky have I been to have had something that made saying goodbye so hard.

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Thoughts on undertaking the Hebridean Way picture

So how did my walk work out? I started by estimating how many days I would need to walk the 190 odd miles and gave myself 18 days which included for extra walking to and from start and finish points. I then started to look for different places to stay after each days walking but quickly decided this would not allow for any delays or problems and instead planned on taking my car and basing myself in strategic locations, 2 nights on Barra, 7 nights on Benbecula, 7 nights on Harris and a final 3 nights in Stornoway. Most days I parked at either the start or finish of my days walking and used the buses to get to the start or back to the car although there are no buses on Sundays. This inevitably involved extra walking but for me it proved a good system, the buses are reliable and drivers are happy to be flagged down if you aren't exactly at a designated stop. I did lose time crossing from Barra to Eriskay as the only slot left to book was the last ferry of the day, and that night as I drove up to Charlie's on Benbecula I had a few misgivings about completing the Uists and Benbecula in the time I had allowed. I had a similar issue booking from Bernaray to Harris but turned up for the morning ferry and they were happy to squeeze me in. As to the walk itself, there was a lot more tarmac than I had anticipated and on the single track A roads this could be a bit uncomfortable with traffic racing past. The peat bogs were very wet and energy sapping and after the stretch from the A865at Aileodair across to Beinn Mhor the ascent up the side of Beinn Mhor itself seemed to go on forever. I saw very few other walkers which surprised me but I was happy with my own company and it gave me a lot of thinking time. The hardest section was from Sacrista to Seilebost because whilst it was relatively dry it was extremely uneven and impossible to get into a good rhythm. I was very lucky with the weather, it rained heavily when I walked from Vatersay to Barra and the following day was very poor visibility that meant I avoided the scramble over Beinn Tangabhal, however due to my late ferry across to Eriskay I was able to do the proper route the next day in dry weather. After that I had virtually no rain and was also midge free, May is definitely a good month to tackle this walk. This was my first long distance walk and if I was to do it again I would probably take more time and fit in more rest days to allow more sight seeing but overall it has been a great challenge and experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

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This post marks the end of the Hebridean Way cycle route so I borrowed it for the end of my 225 mile walk, it took me 7 hours with several stops to walk the 16 miles from Tolsta to here so not too bad for an old codger. I would like to do this part again some day and instead of cutting across the inland peat bogs stick closer to the cliff tops, I got into conversation with a chap in Lionel and he said this is a much better option for viewing the sea birds and is quite a clear path. Another good reason for a future return trip. Sunday is going to be a welcome rest day although I will explore some of the sights in Stornoway, I will also put up at least one more post with my reflections on this Hebridean adventure

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Built by brothers David and Thomas Stevenson in 1862 it remains an important beacon for shipping and was fully automated in 1998, apparently Thomas considered his son Robert Louis to be a great disappointment by not following in the family profession and writing classic novels instead - you just can't please some folks!

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I crossed the bridge over the sea to the medieval fort of Dun Eistean, it has a see through metal mesh base so is not for the faint hearted! The remainder of the walk is a grassy path that in places crosses some of the disused lazy beds where the crofters would lay out rows of seaweed and then cover them with soil in which to grow their potatoes, these are found throughout the Hebridean islands.

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The route is well described on this information board, it certainly isn't one to undertake on a misty day without the views and with the proximity to the cliff tops. The only thing I was slightly disappointed with was the amount of birdlife I saw, maybe they were having a day off!

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My last day of this walk, I drove up to the Butt of Lewis lighthouse and parked my car then caught the bus back to Stornoway Bus Station followed by the bus up to Tolsta, I could have just used the buses but with the car already at the end it meant I had no time pressure or a potential long wait at the end. The first part uses the road up to the Garry Bridge built by Lord Leverhulme during his short ownership of Lewis that ended in 1921 and it seems that The Pies graffiti phenomenon gets everywhere! After the bridge the route becomes a track for another mile or so and after a second less impressive bridge turns into a grassy soft in places path that follows the cliff tops.

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This cairn is a tribute to the men of Upper Coll who returned from WW1 and were promised by the government a fair distribution of land but this never materialised so they took possession of the land in 1921 and redistributed it into crofts for themselves and their families that have been maintained that way ever since.

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It was an early start today because Tom, Kristen, Ed and Rocco needed to check in to Tarbert by 06.30 to catch the ferry to Uig on Skye, and despite that early start they took until nearly 7.30 pm to get back to Edinburgh. Following a couple of road closures due to accidents they had to go up to Inverness and then back down the A9, an extremely long way around. I got to Stornoway and started walking at 10.20 heading along the roads all the way to Tolsta, and was able to keep up a pretty steady pace. Amazingly there is a path alongside the road for nearly 9 miles and after that it was possible to divert onto parts of the old road to keep away from the traffic so a pretty easy walk. Met another walker called Nigel about 3 miles from the end and he was heading for the same bus back to Stornoway as me so good to have a bit of company and he kindly made a donation to my cash collection. Once back in Stornoway I checked into my AirB+B and it is a very well appointed apartment about half a mile from the town centre.

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I had a day off from walking today, it's been a very strong gusty wind from the north making it very cold although only a few drops of rain so far. Andrew and Helen caught the ferry back to Skye this morning and thankfully it was a smooth crossing. So Tom, Ed and myself went on the Isle of Harris Distillery tour this afternoon which was very interesting, we are about to head off to try and find somewhere to eat then an to head for the Loomshed Brewery taproom. And the others have an early start tomorrow as they need to leave about 6.00am!

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Fortunately we had booked a table at the Stornoway Distillers @ The Fank, lots of people came in and were turned away as it was full. The meal was excellent, I chose gin soaked trout followed by skate wings and a complimentary glass of malt from the manager for me was a bonus, it was great evening to celebrate me completing the Hebridean Way. The official length of the walk is 156 miles but I have actually walked 193 miles so far. Planning to have a day off on Thursday and then attempt the 30 odd miles from Stornoway to the Butt of Lewis on Friday and Saturday, I need to check the bus times on Saturday and may have to do the last part first to fit in with them. Andrew and Helen have headed off to catch the ferry over to Uig and Ed, Tom, Kristen and Rocco catch an early ferry Friday morning to return to Edinburgh and get ready for the Edinburgh half marathon on Sunday.

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The marker post is out front of the Woodlands Cafe so we went in for some refreshment and Ed joined us after his visit to the some Black Houses in north Lewis, he definitely had the whiff of peat smoke about him when he arrived. We had a look around the Nan Eilean museum then headed into Stornoway and adjourned to a pub to wait for Tom, Kristen and Rocco to join us for a meal later.

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Company for the last part of The Hebridean Way picture

Andrew and Helen joined me for the walk from Achmore to Stornoway, it was lovely to have them join me for this final section. It was all on a quietish single track road and heads to the finish point through the grounds of Lews Castle in Stornoway, walking down the quiet tree and bush lined drive with the strong scent of Hawthorn was such a contrast to all the other days, and came with the guidebook promising another cafe opportunity at the end. And this time it was open!

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After we finished our walk today we went to visit the Callanish Standing Stones, the Visitor Centre also had a tearoom so we were looking forward to a brew. True to form the tearoom was closed and we timed our visit to coincide with a couple of coach parties so the stones were a little crowded.

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The views from the high points were stunning again today. There must be thousands of lochs dotted across the Hebrides and the terrain on Harris and Lewis is much rockier and mountainous than the rest of the islands.

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Ed joined me today and we parked a car at the start and finish to make getting back easier. 4 out of the 8 miles were across another peaty moor but it wasn't as soggy as some of the previous ones, the weather was warm and sunny and most of the time we had a gentle breeze and listened to the skylarks overhead. We got ambushed by a grouse but judging by the trail it left behind it was more scared than we were! It was good to have some company and it seemed that we were at the end in no time. Tomorrow should see me complete the Hebridean Way and we have booked a restaurant for the evening. Fiona's brother Andrew and wife Helen arrived today in the camper van and have been out cycling somewhere on Harris this afternoon.

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Boardwalk as far as the eye can see picture

As you descend down through the woodland towards the A859 the path becomes a boardwalk that appears to go on for miles - it must have cost a fortune. This section was followed by a mile or two along the old road running parallel to the main road and then at Arivruaich the HW turns left and crosses yet another peat bog. This one wasn't as full of standing water as some of the others I have crossed but the majority of the HW is a double-ditch path and the central path was very claggy wet peat and I had several slips, it was slow going for around 3-4 miles before it became a gravel path/track and then came back onto the main road at Balallan. True to form the cafe at the Kinloch Historical Society was only open Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Balallan Post Office was boarded up and looked to have been shut for several years. Yet again I was able to utilise the bus service to return to my car parked at the turnoff to Maraig, in total I walked over 16.5 miles and have around 18 miles of the HW left to complete.

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This photograph shows the devastating effects of Pine Beauty Moth infestation on the Lodgepole Pine at Aline Community Woodland, this woodland was bought from the Forestry Commission in 2007 and is now managed by The Erisort Trust. The HW takes a diversion through the wood and the views from the high point at Griamacleit are spectacular on a day like today I did actually meet a couple of walkers today but they were hiking around the woods and not tackling the HW.

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Lewis to the left, Harris to the right picture

This burn marks the boundary of the two islands and we are looking east down Loch Seaforth out to sea, it has been a beautiful day today, blue skies and sunshine all day long. I was disappointed that the local seafood snack shack and tea shack were both shut at the bridge between the two islands but then that seems to have been a theme of this walk!

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After supper we drove back south towards Seilebost and made our way down to Luskentyre Beach, Kristen went in for a swim and Rocco followed her in. The island in the background is Taransay and we can see the other end of it from our cottage. On the drive home Skye was lit up spectacularly.

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No idea what The Wee Croft Shop was selling as it was padlocked shut! It is near Tarbert at the start of our afternoon walk, I had the morning off so tried to fix the door handle Tom pulled off and gave my boots a thorough clean and dubbin. Then we dropped off my car in a layby near Maraig and drove back to Tarbert and started walking. After about a mile we were following the original road along the Harris Walkway in a valley alongside Loch Lacasdail. We saw deer on the tops of Sgaoth Aird and Strathabhal and debated whether we were watching a pair of ravens or eagles soaring around over Sgaoth Aird. My binoculars are only 8x21 so didn't help a lot but the fact they didn't flap their wings at all made us conclude they were probably eagles.

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One of many abandoned blackhouses picture

There are scores of these on the islands but I have also seen a number of them that have been restored and are now let as holiday accommodation, there are also a lot of new houses being built. Saw no other walkers on the HW again today but whilst passing a holiday cottage got into conversation with the holidaymaker who happened to live in Keswick. So just under 40 miles of the HW to complete and if I get the time, 30 odd further miles to the Butt of Lewis. Ed is due in on the 9.00pm ferry tonight (Saturday 18th) so all being well we will be doing some of the HW walk together tomorrow.

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Tom and Kristen dropped me off at Seilebost and then went off to do their own runs, and as I walked up the Coffin Road I bumped into Kristen and Grandpup Rocco. The walk today was nowhere near as uneven as yesterday and I completed another 15 miles and arrived in Tarbert to meet the others at the Isle of Harris Distillery for a coffee - and to buy some gin.

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Some great views on the Scarista to Seilebost section of the HW, they helped make up for the hard and slow walk. I arrived at Finmore Cottage at Ardhasaig around 5.30pm to find Tom, Kristen and Rocco had already made it, great to see them all and spend an evening together.

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So it's Friday 17th and after a week staying in the flat at Charlie's on Benbecula it was time to move up to Harris, but not before trying their full Scottish Breakfast . If anyone is ever in the vicinity I thoroughly recommend you try and eat there, lots of sea food and the Salmon Chowder starter is just so delicious. I managed to get onto the 10.25 ferry from Berneray across the Sound of Harris to Leverburgh and started walking from Scarista by 11.45, I was on another deadline to catch a bus back from Seilebost and the guidebook described this section as the toughest on the whole walk so the pressure was on. It was very uneven and steep in places so I just couldn't get into any rhythm and at times across the rocks there was no clear path but at least it wasn't as soggy as the peat bogs I have been across. It was a slow pace but I did manage to get to the bus stop with 15 minutes to spare and yet again I didn't see any other walkers today.

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Hardy rowan growing in the shelter of the burn picture

Whilst on Harris I got into conversation with a lovely young couple who were cycling called Laura and Euan from Dundee, they asked me about my walk and the fundraising and it turns out this was their honeymoon. And then as I was walking alongside the road a lady cycled past and also stopped to ask me about my walk and give me a cash donation. When I got back to Charlie's about 8.00pm I was in time for another lovely meal - seafood tagliatelle- and got to meet owner Iain's Mum Katie - again! We spent an afternoon with Katie in May 2022 when we brought Fiona's Mum out to Benbecula and although she is well into her 90s Katie remembered meeting us all. We had a lovely evening chatting away, all the staff at Charlie's are lovely and have looked after me very well, I shall be sorry to check out tomorrow. And Iain very generously waived the bill for my meal and drinks tonight so I shall convert that into another cash donation. If anyone visits Benbecula and wants a great place to stay and/or eat then I thoroughly recommend you look them up.

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Northton Sands from the top of the valley picture

It was a great view of the beach but you can probably see the mist starting to roll in and by the time I was down to the road the hills were covered so it was very good timing. I then carried on walking along the road to Borve where I had a 30 minute wait for the bus and got back to Leverburgh with about 90 minutes to wait for he ferry. Fortuitously the Isle of Harris Brewery is situated beside the ferry terminal so in I went - and had 2 pots of tea! The drink drive alcohol levels are much lower in Scotland and the tea was spot on. As we crossed the Sound of Harris a haar rolled in and the temperature plummetted so only a few hardy souls stayed on deck. By the time I had got back to my car and changed into my trainers all the ferry traffic had disappeared and I had a clear run back to Charlie's Bistro.

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I caught the ferry from Bernaray to Leverburgh this morning (had to drive like a local to get there in time!) and made a start on the Harris section of the HW. The photo shows the valley beyond the Loch that the path goes up between the hills of Muta and Greabhal, again it was very boggy in places and relatively slow going. I only had 4.5 hours to walk and had to be back down to the road somewhere to catch the last bus (again!) back to catch the ferry. Sunny and warm when I set off with a pleasant breeze so it was sunscreen and T shirt time again.

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Beinn Mhor is only 190m but after an energy sapping splash across the peat for a couple of miles it felt more like Ben Nevis! You should be able to make out the causeway across from North Uist to Berneray.

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Change of plan today, decided to finish off the Uists and Berneray in one go. Started from Langass Lodge and soon encountered Hercules the bear, apparently he went AWOL whilst filming a commercial in 1980 and was found after 24 days having lost half his body weight as he had no idea how to fend for himself. So no walkers were lost during his sojourn! I think a movement activated recording of a bear growl would add some excitement..... The walk up to Aileodair was pretty straightforward and mostly on the old road, that soon changed as I headed across the peat moor to Beinn Mhor, described as wet in places I would say it was very wet in most places, often sinking over boot level. And I needed to get to Berneray by 3.45pm for the last bus to Lochmaddy but in the end I had 20 minutes to spare. Then left my wallet on the bus and was incredibly lucky as the bus came back again 10 minutes later so I could flag it down before catching my next bus back to Langass.

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Severely storm damaged bridge near the end of today's walk, it had a definite wobble to it as I tiptoed over. A lot of the walk has been along the roads, and there is a huge variation in how fast and close people will drive past, a speeding 4x4 Mercedes was 6 inches from my elbow on one of the causeways and I was as close to the edge as I could get. Truck and van drivers are great, they usually slow down and if they can will give you a wide berth. And all the locals tend to give a little wave which is nice.

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It was a bit disconcerting when the walk guide stated "descent is to the North, there is no path or markers until quite a long way down....." and I can only see 10-20m ahead! To be fair it did give a compass reading and that was spot on. It was light rain all morning with a gradual change to occasional drizzle then no rain from 3pm. Very wet peat bog today and fortunately I had my overtrousers on - they are now hanging up in the shower after a thorough clean. The UV boot dryers are also getting plenty of use. Walked over 15 miles today, started from my digs and ended up at Langass and after a 90 minute wait caught the bus back. Only 16 miles more of the HW on North Uist so should be an easier couple of days for me.

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My lunchtime companion today. So far I have walked 87.2 miles (using Jonny's garmin watch) and completed 59.3 miles of the Hebridean Way. And for the eagle-eyed of you I didn't walk across a pear in the previous post - it was peat! My right foot has been less problematic these past 2 days and the rest of the body seems to be holding up so far.

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18.5 miles today, caught the bus at Carnan and got dropped off as close to Ormacleit Castle as possible. Had my waterproofs on as I waited for and travelled on the bus and they were off within 0.25 miles of starting! A level grassy walk to Drimsdale then across the pear around Loch Druidibeg. Walked up to 'Our Lady of the Isles' to have my lunch and it is a great viewpoint to appreciate how flat the west side of South Uist is. Then another excursion across the peat around Loch Bi and a series of smaller lochs. The wind dropped for a while and there were a few midges but they left me alone thankfully. Got to the Loch Carnan wind turbines and the HW follows the access track back to the road, very rough walking with lots of loose stone. Started to rain and kept it up for an hour but that helped keep the midges away. Called into Lovats Village Stores for a few supplies including a welcome cup of coffee and a homemade salmon and dill pie fir my lunch tomorrow - everyone knows I love a good pie! Back to Charlie's Bistro in time to book in for supper and am hoping the smoked salmon chowder starter is still on the menu, it is absolutely delicious.

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Our wedding anniversary trip to Fife 2019 picture

Having a celebratory drink after completing the Aberdour to Kirkcaldy part of the Fife Coastal Path. It was this walk when we realised it was Fiona's back that was causing her pain and not the new hip and that ultimately resulted in her taking ill health retirement. I will be having a glass of red tonight on our 34th wedding anniversary.

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Another dry and occasionally sunny day, I decided to jump ahead to complete a good chunk of the Benbecula section as it meant only a 4.5 mile walk back to the car in the absence of buses. So tomorrow I will head back to South Uist and hopefully get from Ormacleit to Carnan, around 18-19 miles in total, and fill in the gap. Today didn't get off to a great start as I had walked 3/4 of a mile when I realised I had left my coat behind........

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Walked 22.28 miles today and 18.6 were the HW. Used the bus to get to Eriskay Ferry and got up to Castle Ormacleit. Spent the first 10 miles walking with a gent called Graham who lives in Tobermory and we seemed to share a lot of views on life which was good. No buses tomorrow so haven't decided yet where I will walk tomorrow. The sun shone all day again and there was a lot less tarmac so my troublesome foot has been OK.

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Much improved weather so walked around Beinn Tangabhal this morning as I missed out due to the mist yesterday. Then drove up to the airport and walked the beach on the west side where we spent much of our time on our honeymoon. It is over a mile in length and I walked it both ways, saw a grand total of 7 other people whilst I was there! Also watched a passenger plane landing on the east beach.

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So there are some trees growing here!

When I drove onto the ferry in Oban I had a full set of wipers on the car, when I drove off the rear one was missing! Alerted by the scraping sound I had to push the arm to point backwards thanks to automatic wipers. My host Naomi noticed this and produced a packaged replacement from her garage!

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Called in to Garadh Community Cafe at Northbay for a bowl of soup and cup of tea and when they read my story they wouldn't take any payment so I have added it to my collection tin. Very kind of them. Booked onto the 17.30 Sound of Barra ferry over to Eriskay tomorrow - earlier sailings were all booked up so I have another day to explore Barra.

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It was a very damp start on Wednesday evening but I managed to walk the length of the east facing beach opposite Vatersay Community Hall and then back to Barra. Saw the Annie Jane memorial and remains of the Catalina that crashed on 12 May 1944 with a memorial to the crew. Today there was a thick mist so I walked up the west coast road to Ardmhor then caught the bus back from Northbay.

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Fiona had to retire in March 2020 as a result of her scoliosis, then the pandemic hit and I was furloughed for 3 months and we actually enjoyed that time together so much we decided I should take VR which I did at the end of July and effectively retired. One of the things we talked about doing was buying an open top car, I have always had my motorbikes but Fiona was never willing to join me (what does that say about my riding skills?!) and on a couple of occasions we had hired classic cars and both enjoyed bimbling around with the top down. On the way home from seeing the oncologist on her birthday and still trying to come to terms with her diagnosis, Fiona turned to me and said " We are getting that sports car, you must go out and find one" and with the help of garage owning friend Brian I tracked down an MG that was in a car collection in Penrith. It had been off the road for nearly 20 years but was stored in a centrally heated garage, was in very good condition with low mileage and whilst we were over at The Freeman Hospital for Fiona's 6 weeks of chemoradiotherapy Brian fully recommissioned the car and had it back on the road by May when we were able to use it at Tom and Kristen's wedding. Summer 2023 saw us take trips down through the Lakes, over the Pennines and into Dumfries and Galloway, we both thoroughly enjoyed using it and just wished we had bought it back in 2020.

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Hally22_ 10 months, 3 weeks

A great start Rob! Looking forward to meeting up with you on Harris a week on Tuesday👍

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