First Hill Walk

Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park

Mike went on his first hill walk as it is called here, hike if you prefer. And, he had a terrific time. Since we know nothing about where to hill walk in Scotland, Mike opted to join a local club; there are lots of clubs in Edinburgh that organize hill walks.

He joined the All Year Ramblers; they have walks scheduled every week of the year, and they promote themselves as especially welcoming and friendly. And they were. The club president responded quickly and warmly to Mike's series of emailed questions, and the members he met were equally nice. His first hill walk involved meeting the club members at the Edinburg train station, riding for an hour-and-a-half to the town of Perth, venturing out from there for 10 miles of up-and-down hill walking, and returning via train.

The weather was what we have come to expect for this time of year; cool, windy, overcast, with on-and-off drizzle. No problem. The trails were easy to follow and muddy as can be. And, there were plenty to choose from. That is a big part of why Scotland is a hikers' paradise; just Mike's kind of place, Beth's too. Impressively, virtually every detail of every walking opportunity in the country, including topographic maps, are available in a single, comprehensive, brilliantly simple-to-use phone app.