4 Things I Would Do Differently if I was to Walk the Length of the UK Again!
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Regrets From Walking John O’Groats to Land’s End
On 13th September 2024, I was racing to the finish line at the Land’s End signpost. Have you ever power-walked across deep, dry sand? That’s one way to build calf muscle, that’s for sure.
What an achievement. It’s an experience I will never forget.
But looking back now, I didn’t do everything right.
Whether you’re here because you’re interested in my story, or because you’re planning your own John O’Groats to Land’s End walk, these are the parts of the journey I wish I had done differently.
1. I Wish I’d Walked Fewer Miles Per Day
When I first started walking, I put far too much pressure on myself to walk over 20 miles a day. A lot of that came down to accommodation I’d already booked and trying to stick to a budget so I wasn’t paying for extra accommodation when (in my head) I could technically walk to the next stop.
I was also a bit arrogant in believing my limits were higher than they actually were. At the end of the day, I’m human, and eventually my body was always going to wear down.
I loved every part of Scotland, but as I moved further down the UK, exhaustion crept in. The walk stopped feeling like an experience and started feeling like I was chasing miles instead of enjoying where I was. Thank the knee angels for walking sticks though! I would not have completed this journey without them!
I used these The Fit Life ultralight carbon fibre trekking poles as a budget friendly option.
Because I was constantly pushing for distance, I missed moments. I didn’t linger in places that deserved more time, and I missed out on conversations along the way.
I learnt this far too late in the journey when I bumped into Simon, who was walking the South West Coastal Path. Instead of charging on, I spent the day walking with him. He encouraged me to slow down, take a dip in the sea, and just be present. That’s something I would never have done if I’d stuck to my usual mindset of reaching the destination as quickly as possible.
Higher mileage always had a knock-on effect. Being sore and exhausted affected my sleep, which then affected my motivation the next day. It became a bit of a yo-yo cycle. If I’d stuck to a sensible, consistent daily mileage, I’m convinced the walk would have felt far more sustainable.
If you’re planning this walk, my advice would be to aim for a realistic daily distance that you can maintain.
Slower really might get you further. We all know the tortoise and the hare, right?
2. I Wish I’d Taken More Breaks
There were so many times I didn’t stop because I felt this huge pressure to get the miles in. I convinced myself that if I didn’t walk far enough in a day, I’d somehow be judged for it.
What that pressure actually did was rob me of recovery and reflection.
In the first week I ended up with a swollen ankle and had a big panic as I didn’t think I would be able to complete the journey. In my first week!
Breaks were important not just physically, but mentally too. They gave me time to process the day, or even the week I’d had. They were also often the moments where I’d meet someone and strike up a conversation, something that became incredibly important when walking the length of the UK solo.
Those conversations mattered. They broke up the loneliness and taught me so much about the places I was walking through.
Stopping to eat was another thing I didn’t always prioritise enough. There were days I simply didn’t get enough food into me, which is far from ideal when you’re burning that many calories.
Proper fuel matters, especially when you’re tackling Scottish hills, valleys, and long coastal stretches. FYI, Jaffa Cakes became my survival snack!
Taking breaks isn’t weakness. It’s part of the walk.
3. I Wish I’d Had More Money Available
I’d reached a point in my life where I was completely fed up. I knew my hormones were out of balance, I was burnt out by the 9–5, and it felt like I needed to do something big. If life was a game, I needed to complete a quest and level up.
That decision came in December 2023. I decided I was going to walk John O’Groats to Land’s End and aim to set off in June, giving myself just five months to prepare.
During that time, I made sure I had three months’ worth of mortgage payments and bills covered. At the time, that felt sensible and responsible.
A friend suggested I set up a Buy Me a Coffee page, something I hadn’t even considered. I set a goal and ended up reaching 10.35%. I didn’t expect to even hit 1%, so I was genuinely blown away by how many people wanted to support the walk and my content.
That goal is still live, and I continue to have one person supporting me on a membership. That one person means more to me than they probably realise, especially in a world where people are cancelling subscriptions left, right, and centre.
So how did I fund the rest of the trip? I did a naughty thing. I took out a loan and used credit cards.
Was it worth getting into debt? At the time, yes. Absolutely. Looking back now, a year and a half later, and after having my magic baby, I do regret it slightly. It would have been nice to have paid that debt off quicker, but maternity leave has a way of making you watch every penny.
If I ever get myself out of debt, manage to have the money upfront and have a campervan and driver, I would definitely do this all over again but start from Land’s End to John O’Groats!
Money pressure influenced far more decisions than I realised, especially at the beginning. I often walked further than I should have so I didn’t have to pay for accommodation at a higher rate. That usually backfired, leaving me exhausted and needing longer rest days anyway.
As I moved further down the UK, my attitude changed. I reached a point where I simply didn’t care anymore. I was cold at night in my tent, constantly rained on, and I had picked what felt like the worst possible summer to hike for three months.
I had planned to camp for most of the journey, but the weather and the state of my body towards the end meant it just wasn’t realistic all the time. The weather alone can create unexpected costs, whether that’s extra nights indoors, drying gear, or unplanned rest days.
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone planning a trip like this, it would be to have the majority of the money ready before you go. Debt isn’t a nice thing, and I don’t recommend it.
Once you have a budget in mind, double it. There will be days where you spend far more than you ever planned to, and having that buffer gives you freedom, not pressure.
4. I Wish I’d Planned Accommodation Better
At the beginning of the trip, I was incredibly lucky with accommodation. I had a mixture of free stays, discounted stays, and exchanges for social media footage. It honestly made the first part of the journey feel quite special.
I stayed in some incredible places across Scotland. A lighthouse cottage, a birdwatcher’s cabin, and even a luxury room where the bath was in the bedroom all come to mind.
I didn’t achieve this on my own. I had the help of social media management company Loving My Socials, who supported me with outreach and organisation while I was out walking.
I made a conscious decision to only lock in a certain amount of accommodation before I set off. At the time, it felt sensible. We didn’t know what might happen on the road, how my body would cope, or whether plans would need to change.
In hindsight, I wish I had locked in more.
Not only would this have helped my budget by exchanging services for a warm, dry place to sleep, but it would also have added so much to the experience itself. Staying in different types of accommodation became one of the unexpected highlights of the trip.
When you’re walking for 8–12 hours a day, there’s very little energy left for negotiating places to stay in the evening. That’s when the pressure starts to sink in.
I also don’t enjoy wild camping, so I always needed to know I had somewhere safe to sleep. The one night I wild camped alone near Roslin still sticks in my mind, and not for the right reasons.
It reinforced how important accommodation planning was for me, not just physically, but mentally too.
Because I will be completely honest with you, I would much rather be sleeping in a large comfy bed than on the damp floor camping! I also have a weakness for a rain shower and you don’t find many of them at a campsite.
If I were to do this walk again, I’d plan more accommodation in advance, with flexibility built around it, rather than leaving so much to chance.
What I’d Do Differently!
Looking back, I didn’t do everything perfectly. I walked too far some days, skipped breaks, worried about money, and left too much to chance with accommodation. But even with all of that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Each mistake taught me something valuable and shaped the journey in ways I hadn’t expected.
If you’re planning your own JOGLE, here are the key things I’ve learnt and would do differently next time:
- Walk fewer miles per day: Consistent, realistic distances keep your body fresh and your mind engaged.
- Take breaks without guilt: Stopping to eat, rest, or chat with someone along the way is part of the experience.
- Have a money buffer: Unexpected costs happen, especially with accommodation or bad weather. Budget more than you think you’ll need.
- Plan accommodation in advance: Even partial planning helps reduce stress and gives you flexibility on the road.
- Embrace flexibility: Things rarely go exactly as planned. Some detours, rest days, or changes to your route will make the journey richer, not worse.
At the end of the day, JOGLE isn’t a race. It’s about the moments you experience along the way, the people you meet, the landscapes you see, and the lessons you learn about yourself.
Even with regrets, this walk taught me resilience, patience, and self-trust.
If you’re considering this challenge, go for it!
Just maybe, go wiser than I did.
A thank you to my sponsors that helped make it possible!
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors who helped contribute to making sure I was either fed, hydrated or sheltered.
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