WALKING THE
LENGTH
OF THE UK

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Day 1 of Walking the Length of the UK

Setting Off From John O’Groats

I had every intention of getting up early and setting off promptly towards the John O’Groats signpost.

In reality, anyone who knows me knows I’m not a morning person.

However, I got up for breakfast at 7:30am and, to be fair, everything was running smoothly. Then I did what I always do. I got chatting.

Looking back, it makes me smile, because before I started this walk I genuinely thought I would keep myself to myself.

Head down.
Just walk.

But one of the best parts of the entire journey turned out to be the people I met along the way.

That morning, at the John O’Groats Guest House, I met a father and son.

The son had set off walking from Land’s End, then halfway decided to switch to cycling, while his dad followed along in a campervan.

We ended up talking for a while, swapping stories and plans, and I remember feeling genuinely inspired by them.

It gave me something really important on day one. Belief.

Belief that this challenge, this pilgrimage, this long walk from one end of the country to the other, was actually possible.

I had planned to reach the signpost for about 8:30am. In reality, it was closer to 10am by the time I finally got there.

When I arrived, it was surprisingly quiet.

There was no one else at the signpost itself, although I could see a few people sitting in the café nearby, watching me from inside. I imagine I looked a bit ridiculous, battling the wind while trying to set up a little photoshoot before officially setting off.

But this was it. The real beginning.

Standing there, about to walk all the way to Land’s End.

Staying in John O’Groats

Planning your own start at John O’Groats?

There aren’t loads of options, and in busy months they do book up quickly.

I’ve added a map below to help you find somewhere that suits your route, budget, and travel style.

How to Get to John O’Groats

Getting to John O’Groats feels like part of the adventure in itself.

It’s remote, right up at the very top of mainland Scotland, and no matter where you’re coming from, it’s going to take a bit of time and a bit of patience.

I travelled up by train, starting in Glasgow and heading to Inverness.

From Inverness, I then took the train up to Thurso. It’s a long journey, but a beautiful one, and the further north you go, the more dramatic and open the landscape becomes.

However, the further up north you go the emptier the train gets and starts to look like something out of a horror movie!

From Thurso, I was incredibly lucky and managed to get a lift up to Dunnet Head.

Not everyone does it this way, but I really wanted to say I have been at the true northernmost point of mainland Britain.

From there, I walked from Dunnet Head down to John O’Groats, ready to begin the official journey south.

I use Hiiker to navigate all my walking routes, making it easy to track my path and stay on course. If you want to try it, you can get 50% off with my code LEAH50!

If you’re planning your own trip, Thurso is a really practical base.

It has a train station, places to stay, shops to stock up on supplies, and onward transport to get you to either Dunnet Head or John O’Groats itself.

Your main options for getting to John O’Groats are:

• Train: Travel to Inverness, then continue to Thurso or Wick, and onward by bus, taxi, or lift.
• Car: You can drive to John O’Groats
• Bus: There are bus connections from Inverness and Thurso, though these are slower and less frequent.
• Taxi or local transfer: Especially useful for getting from Thurso to Dunnet Head or John O’Groats, however, they are hard to come by as it isn’t like grabbing a taxi in a city centre!

Standing at the John O’Groats Signpost

Standing at the famous John O’Groats signpost didn’t quite feel real.

It still hadn’t properly sunk in that I was actually about to walk the length of the UK.

I’d spent months planning, worrying, preparing, and talking about this walk, and yet in that moment my brain hadn’t caught up with my feet.

I know it’s a cliché to say it, but it genuinely felt like I was watching someone else start the journey.

Like I was standing slightly outside of myself, looking in, trying to process that this wasn’t just an idea anymore.

This was it.

This was the beginning.

No backing out now!

The weather, however, was already making its presence known. It was windy and rainy, and I remember thinking that maybe it would calm down once I started walking along the coast.

Looking back now, that was…wildly optimistic.

The First Miles

Setting off in June, I had completely convinced myself I was going to get lovely weather.

Well, I could not have been more wrong.

I was hit almost immediately with incredibly strong winds, with rain slashing straight into my face.

I did not expect to be pulling out my poncho on day one, and definitely did not expect to look like The Junk Lady troll from Labyrinth quite so early into the journey.

The climb up towards Duncansby Lighthouse, mixed with the awful weather, highlighted something very quickly. I was carrying far too much weight.

Every step uphill felt heavier than it should have, and it was one of those moments where you realise that no amount of planning quite prepares you for how your body will feel once you’re actually out there doing it.

After leaving John O’Groats and passing Duncansby Lighthouse, the path leads you along the clifftops towards one of the dramatic coastal sights in the north of Scotland, the Duncansby Stacks.

One of the most amusing and slightly soul-destroying realisations came when I checked my distance.

I had walked from my accommodation to the signpost…then back along the coast…only to find myself almost adjacent to where I’d started once I reached the Duncansby Stacks.

I use Hiiker to navigate all my walking routes, making it easy to track my path and stay on course. If you want to try it, you can get 50% off with my code LEAH50!

John O’Groats to Duncansby Stacks

• Distance: 7.56 km
• Time: Around 2 hours
• Terrain: Coastal path, grassy and boggy in places, with a steady incline
• Conditions (for me): Strong wind and heavy rain

On paper, 7.5 km doesn’t sound like much.

But with full pack weight, exposed cliffs, and unpredictable weather, it’s a proper first test.

The stacks are huge sea pillars that have been carved out of the cliffs by the sea over thousands of years.

They stand just offshore, separated from the mainland, and on a clear day you can see just how wild and exposed this stretch of coastline really is.

And this is also where the walk really starts to feel remote.

After the stacks, the path stretches on and the land opens up, and I didn’t see another person for hours.

It was just me, the wind, the cliffs, and the sea, and for the first time that day it properly sank in that I had started something very big.

The Hardest Part: Bog, Ankles & Cliff Edges

The weather was not my friend on Day One of the walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

By this point, the rain had turned the ground into a sponge.

The trail itself had narrowed to the point where I was constantly rolling my ankles as I tried to keep my footing.

There were no good choices.

If I drifted to the right, I was in marshland.
If I drifted to the left, I was about two metres from the cliff edge.

Not exactly a comforting thought when the wind was coming at me from what felt like every direction at once.

It was a strange mix of emotions.

On one hand, I was completely blown away by the vastness of it all.

The landscape felt huge, open, untamed.

I passed a geo that looked like something torn straight out of Jurassic Park, and for a moment I just stared, in total awe of where this journey was taking me.

But at the same time, my confidence was wobbling.

The conditions were relentless, and the weather was starting to grind me down.

Worse still, I had the slow, sinking realisation that I’d made a classic beginner’s mistake.

My backpack was too heavy, and I was going to feel every single unnecessary gram of it.

Then, the ground changed.

For a short stretch, the bog gave way to something more like a quarry road. Hard ground. Solid.

It felt unbelievable underfoot. My feet practically started to sing, and my mood lifted almost instantly.

The pace picked up, the walking became easier, and for the first time in a while that day, it felt like I was actually making proper progress again.

From here, the route starts to ease slightly, becoming mostly flat, and before long you begin to approach your next landmark of the day: Freswick Castle.

Freswick Castle

Freswick Castle sits near the coastline overlooking Freswick Bay. It is a Grade A listed tower house, built upon the foundations of a 12th century Viking settlement.

In recent years, the castle has been restored and is now rented out as a holiday home.

The stretch from Duncansby Stacks to Freswick Castle is roughly 6.5km, and by the time I arrived here, I was already feeling the miles in my legs.

The Long Slog, The Doubt, and The Lighthouse

On the John O’Groats trail, you pass some incredible historical landmarks, including Bucholie Castle, Nybster Broch, and Old Keiss Castle.

Under different circumstances, these would have been highlights of the day.

But this first official day of walking from John O’Groats to Land’s End taught me a hard lesson very quickly.

I had made a major mistake.

I had over faced myself with the miles.

There came a point where the walk started to feel endless.

The fatigue was setting in, and at one stage I managed to jar my knee scrambling down, which did nothing for my confidence.

The familiar thoughts started creeping in.

Am I actually going to make it?

With every step, the weight of my backpack felt heavier, and the mental battle began to match the physical one.

Then, finally, hope returned. In the distance, I could see the lighthouse.

But I had made another mistake that day. I had set off from the signpost far too late, and now it was starting to get late into the evening.

With three miles left to go, and the lighthouse still in sight, I had to make the difficult decision to relent and get picked up for the final stretch to the accommodation.

I had a meal waiting for me, was soaked still from the morning, and at that point, pushing on just didn’t make sense.

It wasn’t how I’d imagined finishing Day One. But it was a lesson I needed to learn early.

Don’t Make the Same Mistakes I Did on Day One

If I could give any advice to someone starting this journey, it would be this:

• Don’t carry a backpack that’s too heavy
• Don’t set off too late
• And don’t try to achieve too many miles on the very first day

Especially not on a day like I had!

There are definitely things I would do differently if I was to do this walk again!

Where I Stayed: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage

After 19.3 miles along the John O’Groats Trail coastline, and a slightly resentful lift for the final stretch, I arrived at Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage and was met by Ben, the owner.

From the moment I arrived, Ben was incredibly welcoming. She had even cooked me a meal, which felt like the greatest luxury imaginable after burning through so many calories all day in wind and rain.

That evening was spent eating, talking, sharing stories, and doing the less glamorous but very necessary job of trying to dry out my boots and clothes for the next day’s walk.

I was spoilt. Completely and utterly spoilt.

I couldn’t quite believe that this was Day One of walking the length of the UK and here I was, staying in a Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage.

There is also accommodation available for the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cabin.

I realised I was living out my Pete’s Dragon fantasy.

All I needed at that point was Mickey Rooney to burst into song and the scene would have been complete.

Route Summary: John O’Groats to Wick (Day One)

• Distance: 19.3 miles
• Trail: John O’Groats Trail
• Terrain: Cliffs, bog, path, sand
• Difficulty: Moderate depending on weather
• Recommendation: I would strongly recommend splitting this section into two days, especially if you’re carrying a full pack or just starting out.

What Day One Taught Me

Day One taught me very quickly that this journey was not going to be negotiated with.

I had over faced myself.

I’d set off too late, carried too much, and tried to do too many miles on a body that was still adjusting to the reality of what I was attempting.

Scotland, in all its wild beauty, made sure I understood that immediately.

Watch Day One on YouTube

If you’d like to see this day unfold in real time, including the weather, the cliffs and the wind, you can watch the full video here:

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