Overview of Pilgrimage Route

Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle, Aberdeenshire, to Glastonbury Tor, Somerset

This may seem a bit of a strange post to share on substack, as it’s not one of my usual unwieldy essays or eccentric contemplations! It continues on from my last post which described the whys and wherefores of my upcoming pilgrimage. This is an overview of the proposed route I will be taking as, who knows, some of you lovely people out there may have some excellent knowledge to share which will help me along on my journey! 🙏

‘The Fool on the Hill’ - enjoying the view from Glastonbury Tor: 26th August, 2016

Finally! Here’s the route from Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle to Glastonbury Tor within a rough timeline. There’s still room for a bit of flexibility here, depending on my ability to a secure place to stay each night!

If you have ANY knowledge to share on ANY of these places and their surrounding areas, please give me a shout.

If you know of anyone who lives in or near any of these locations who would be able to help me out with accommodation for the night (even a sofa or floor), or suggest somewhere cheap to stay nearby, please let me know. It’s a big ask, but I’ll need all the support I can get to help me along the way.

I want this trek to reveal and celebrate core human values - community spirit, connection and above all kindness; values which are ever present in society, but frequently overshadowed by the twenty-four hour bombardment of horror and hopelessness, otherwise known as news, which permeates our homes, our cars, our workplaces and most of all our electronic devices, on a daily basis. Despite all the horrendous stuff going on in the world right now, there is still a lot of love, light and laughter out there too!

Right! Let’s get to it!

Week 1: Easter Aquhorthies, Aberdeenshire, to Tayport, Fife (St. Duthac’s Way)

1st May - 7th May

• Aberdeen

• Stonehaven (Aberdeenshire)

• Inverbervie (Aberdeenshire)

• Montrose (Angus)

• Arbroath (Angus)

• Monifieth (Angus)

• Tayport (Fife)

Week 2: St. Andrews, Fife, to Penicuik, Midlothian (St.Duthac’s/St. Andrew’s/St. Wilfred’s Way)

8th May - 14th May

• St. Andrews (Fife)

• Kettlehill (Fife)

• Scotlandwell (Perth & Kinross)

• Dunfermline (Fife)

• Queensferry (Edinburgh)

• Edinburgh

• Penicuik (Midlothian)

Week 3: Innerleithen, Borders, to Once Brewed, Northumberland (St. Wilfred’s Way minus Jedburgh)

15th May - 21st May

• Innerleithen (Borders)

• Selkirk (Borders)

• Hawick (Borders)

• Chesters (Borders)

• Byrness (Northumberland)

• Bellingham (Northumberland)

• Once Brewed (Northumberland)

Week 4: Hexham, Northumberland, to Grinton, North Yorkshire (St. Wilfred’s Way/Way of Light/Great English Walk/Herriot Way)

22nd May - 28th May

• Hexham (Northumberland)

• Blanchland (Northumberland)

• Stanhope (County Durham)

• Eggleston (County Durham)

• Barnard Castle (County Durham)

• Grinton (North Yorkshire) 2 nights

Week 5: Aysgarth, North Yorkshire to Skipton, North Yorkshire (Herriot Way/Leeds & Liverpool Canal/Calderdale Way/Calder & Hubble Navigation/River Calder

29th May - 4th June

• Aysgarth (North Yorkshire)

• Cray/Kettlewell (North Yorkshire)

• Grassington (North Yorkshire)

• Skipton (North Yorkshire)

• Saltaire/Bradford (West Yorkshire)

• Huddersfield (West Yorkshire)

Week 6: Penistone, South Yorkshire, to Derby (Penistone Line Trail/Derwent Valley Heritage Trail)

5th June - 11th June

• Penistone (South Yorkshire)

• Ladybower Reservoir/Bamford (Derbyshire)

• Calver (Derbyshire)

• Matlock (Derbyshire) 2 nights

• Belper (Derbyshire)

• Derby

Week 7: Derby to Stoke Pound/Bromsgrove, (Derby Canal/Trent & Mersey Canal/Coventry Canal/Pilgrim’s Way/Birmingham & Fazeley Canal/St. Chad’s Way

12th June - 18th June

• Derby (night in Nottingham?)

• Burton on Trent (Staffordshire)

• Lichfield (Staffordshire)

• Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham)

• Birmingham

• Stoke Pound/Bromsgrove (Worcestershire)

Week 8: Worcester, to Oldbury on Severn, Gloucestershire (Worcester & Birmingham Canal/Severn Way)

19th June - 25th June

• Worcester

• Upton upon Severn (Worcestershire)

• Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire)

• Gloucester

• Frampton on Severn (Gloucestershire)

• Oldbury on Severn (Gloucestershire)

Week 9: Chepstow, Monmouthshire, to Glastonbury, Somerset (Severn Way/Strawberry Line/West Mendip Way/Syrens Walk

26th June - 2nd July

• Chepstow (Monmouthshire, Wales) 2 nights

• Shirehampton (Bristol)

• Yatton (North Somerset)

• Cheddar (Somerset) 2 nights

• Wells (Somerset)

Week 10: Glastonbury, Somerset

• Glastonbury…….

And just like that 🫰, I’ve arrived at the Tor!

Wish it were that easy! 😄.

Well. . . maybe not. . .🤔. . . as it’ll be the physical, mental and emotional challenges which make the journey all the more beautiful and profound. 😊

Thank you as always for taking the time to read this 🙏💚.

Please do get in touch if you can help in any way with local information or support.

I would be absolutely delighted if can you join me at any stretch along the way, even just to say hello. . . or as we would say here in Aberdeenshire, ‘Fit like?’ 😄

Until next time. . . .