I'm walking nearly 150 miles across Scotland in memory of my wife Jan; from near Lossiemouth on the North Sea coast, to the peak of Ben Nevis, in the West (which you can see behind Jan in the photo above from our honeymoon in 2014).

THE CAUSE

In 2019 we lost my amazing wife Jan to breast cancer, two years to the day after her diagnosis. She was just 34. I am fundraising for Katharine House Hospice in her memory. Jan's last few days were spent at Katharine House, in a beautiful, private space surrounded by family and friends and with the kind of wonderful, dignified care any of us could ever hope for.

But Katharine House - and Hospices across the UK - are far more than the end of the journey. They help people with life-limiting illnesses LIVE their lives day-to-day with symptoms care, counselling, activities, wellbeing programmes, and more. Katharine House was a rock of support for both Jan and me for two years, helping us spend our last years together with as much fun and love as we could. They did so much there's simply too much to cover here, but I recorded a video which you can watch here:

https://www.khh.org.uk/robbie-and-jans-story

Katharine House is a pillar of the local community and I'm humbled to begin to fundraise for them and represent them as a Trustee, in Jan's memory, so that others can live their lives to the fullest, just as she did.

THE CHALLENGE

North coast to West coast. 150 miles. 6,800m elevation!

I decided to walk across Scotland because it is where we shared some of our happiest memories. I was born in Elgin and lived in Moray with my Mum and Dad for my earliest years. Although Jan was proudly Texan, she fell in love with Scotland when she visited with me, and often referred to it as her "favourite place on Earth". In 2014 we were married near Aberdeen and it's there - at the beautiful Chapel of Garioch - that her ashes are buried.

The walk begins on the coast near Lossiemouth where I first lived, and where my Dad Julian flew - and died - as an RAF pilot. I follow the famous "Speyside Way" through whisky country (no tasting stops, sadly!) and once at the small ski resort of Aviemore, I join up with the rather less-well-travelled "East Highlands Way" (not to be confused with its famous Western sibling) all the way to Fort William, where Jan and I honeymooned in September 2014. During that trip we stayed in a Yurt at the base of Ben Nevis - the UK's tallest mountain - and so on my final day I will aim to climb it for the first time, conditions permitting.

You can see the full route here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EJUrRweYvEZIr7bm9ai_dwo4tdXf-BavxDUQ4AOj31s/edit?usp=sharing

Covering 16 miles a day over sometimes very hilly terrain, for over a week will be a decent challenge for me, and I'll often be on un-signposted routes on the edges of the Cairngorms. At 1,345m, Ben Nevis will also be the highest I've ever climbed, so wish me luck!

For training and walk updates, follow me on:

Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/72548917
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cookie_vvonster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cookie_Vonster