Katharine Hay, the woman who's walking the length and breadth of Scotland

Katharine Hay — the rural affairs correspondent for The Scotsman newspaper — during her walk around Scotland

Katharine Hay says she's been stunned by Scotland's huge variety of landscapes during her walk — and blown away by the hospitality of the people she has encountered.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Katharine Hay / The Scotsman)

It's just over two years ago that the journalist Katharine Hay, a year into her new job as rural affairs correspondent for The Scotsman newspaper, had an epiphany.

'98% of Scotland is rural,' she recalls thinking, 'and here I am sitting in the two per cent urban area. It really doesn't feel like I'm doing the role justice.'

What Katharine decided next changed her life: she decided to walk the length and breadth of the country.

Armed with a tent, a camping stove, solid support from her editor and a hot water bottle from her mother ('I thought she was mad — it honestly turned out to be the single best thing I took with me'), she set off on what was supposed to be a six-month trek.

2,000 miles and almost two years later, 'Hay's Way' is still going — and probably will be for at least another six months.

'For a woman, or indeed anyone walking alone like this, you're in a very vulnerable situation,' she tells James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast. 'But I've been blown away by the Scottish hospitality everywhere I've been.'

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Katharine Hay during her walk around Scotland — From Dumfries to Shetland, Katharine has already traversed the length and breadth of much of Scotland, but she's still going for now.(Image credit: Courtesy of Katharine Hay / The Scotsman)

On this wonderful episode Katharine recounts some of her adventures, from the joys of birdsong and red squirrels on sunny, summers day to a terrifying near-death experience climbing back up a cliff after visiting The Old Man of Hoy, and from coming face-to-face with an otter (adorable, if smelly) to a fishing boat trip in the Outer Hebrides that left her with sea legs so bad that she 'couldn't walk in a straight line for two days'.

We can't recommend listening to this episode strongly enough — and to hear more about her journey you can sign up for Katharine's newsletter on The Scotsman website, read her journalism, or follow her on Instagram and X.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guests: Katharine Hay

Producer and editor: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.