My name is Ewan Priest and on the 9th of September 2019 I will be embarking on a 100 mile hike over the hills, forests and glens of Scotland to raise money for Therapet. 

What is Therapet?

Therapet is a service organised by scottish charity ‘Canine Concern’. The therapet team, which is comprised entirely of unpaid volunteers and their dogs, travel all over Scotland providing animal assisted therapy to people in need. They continue to visit hospitals, hospices, care homes and schools - bringing a little ray of sunshine into people’s lives and often helping them on the road to recovery. Interactions with therapy pets help people struggling with depression, suicidal tendencies and a wide range of mental illnesses including veterans battling with PTSD. they benefit children with social issues, anxiety and in particular, aiding children with autism who struggle with interaction. They visit people who are bed-bound in hospital, who are often missing their own pets and they visit care homes and hospices. Sadly, in some cases, the Therapets are the only visitors the care home residents have.

Why did I choose this charity?

I sadly lost my dog, Belle, to cancer in May. She came into my life in 2006 as an eight week old little pup and was my best pal through good and bad. I felt like I needed to do something to honour her memory, to celebrate her life and ultimately to bring some positivity out of a bad situation. Belle was always happiest when she was interacting with people so Therapet was the obvious choice of charity for me….and like all dogs, Belle was in her element when she was out on a walk - so walking I will go.

What does the hike entail?

The trail I will be hiking is the West Highland Way. 

It runs from Milngavie, just North of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. The journey covers a distance of 154km or 96 miles. I’ll also be adding a few small detours to bring it up to the full 100 miles. Now I'm by no means an 'experienced hiker' so this really will be a test for me both physically and mentally.

Thank you.