Halfway House

Quintin Lake hits a landmark on his coastal journey and enjoys the characters of Scotland

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Leaving the Mull of Galloway lighthouse, I can just make out the undulating horizon of Cumbria in the far distance. This is the last glimpse of England until I reach its east coast in 18 months’ time.

The Rhins are exceptionally beautiful, with verdant rolling fields ending in dramatic granite cliffs dropping to the Irish Sea. Although it’s benign to look at, barbed wire, electric fences, fields of bulls and paths overgrown with gorse make progress slow and frustrating.