A MAN has tested the lengths of endurance and right to roam legislation by walking across Scotland entirely in a straight line.
Alastair Stanley, a 27-year-old software engineer and YouTuber originally from Dunbartonshire, successfully traversed the breadth of Scotland from the Firth of Clyde to the First of Forth in February.
During the journey, which Stanley documented on YouTube, he never deviated more than 25 metres either side of a completely straight line.
He told The National that his interest in making the journey came from watching other content creators attempt similar journeys.
“I've been interested in this emerging sport for a while since it was popularised by the English YouTuber GeoWizard," he said.
“He's successfully 'straight-lined' Norway and Wales, but stopped short when he tried Scotland.
“It was a group of relatively unknown members of his community who set the first record for crossing Scotland and therefore Great Britain in a straight line. I watched a video of their attempt and was surprised to see so many places I'd grown up around: Bowling, Mugdock Country Park, the Campsies.
“They did a great job but with my local knowledge I reckoned I could find a better (straighter) route.”
Using a handheld GPS device Stanley completed the journey in 33 hours, 28 minutes and 6 seconds.
However, Stanley said that the planning of the route took far more trial and error than the walk itself.
“It's frustrating when you find a route that's perfect for 99% but then hits one big obstacle and you're back to square one,” he added. “Each time I found a line that nearly worked there would be a long process of tweaking and re-checking, threading it carefully around cliffs and between farmhouses.
“My final route passed through only two buildings, which were hotels I could sleep at. In the end, I only used one.”
But the hike wasn’t without its challenges. Throughout the course of the walk Stanley went over lochs, down cliffsides and even around a national landmark.
He said: “I bought a small, inflatable kayak for water crossings, so they ended up being some of the easiest parts of the line.
“The hardest terrain by far was the forests and undergrowth I had to get through. I hadn't realised how thick and unforgiving the bushes and brambles can get once you leave the beaten path.
“After one of the water sections, on the east bank of Caldarvan Loch, the rhododendrons were so dense that my girlfriend couldn't get to me to collect the kayak.
“I had to deflate it and carry it through the forest with me.
“But one of the biggest challenges was a massive abseil down the eastern escarpment of the Fintry Hills.
“Some parts of that rock face are too tall for a standard climbing rope, so I spent weeks scouting it out and fine-tuning the route to descend at a manageable point.
“I was lucky to get some expert help from a family friend who's similarly a bit mad. He helped me prepare the descent and set up the rope before I arrived.
“Climbing round the edge of Stirling Castle in the dark also deserves an honourable mention!”
Although right to roam legislation gives people permission to cross land for recreational purposes, Stanley added that he in his experience of doing straight-line crossings it was still best to contact landowners ahead of time if possible.
“I wouldn't want to make this journey without right to roam,” he said.
“We contacted a couple of landowners in advance and they were friendly and interested in what I was doing.
“I didn't meet many others during the weekend. The very few times I was aggressively confronted was on land I was definitely allowed to pass through.
“I learned that even though it may be within your rights, you can still panic people who aren't used to anyone crossing their land. It's often best to make yourself known and let them know you aren't causing trouble.
“I was worried that some landowners might be wary or suspicious of what I was doing, but time after time they would have a laugh, call me mad, then ask questions about where I'd been and wish me luck for where I was going next. That's something you wouldn't get anywhere else.”
Stanley said that anyone interested in trying straight-line crossings should be prepared and, ideally, experienced.
As a former cross country runner for Scotland, Stanley is familiar with trials of endurance.
However, he said that anyone interested in trying straight-line crossings should be prepared and, ideally, experienced.
“Obviously it's a very silly thing to do. It puts your body through the wringer to have to go through every obstacle instead of around it and I still haven't recovered months later.
“There will be a hundred barbed-wire and electric fences to cross, many awkward climbs and miles of crawling through bushes. I've also had years of practising skills that directly apply to these challenges, having run cross country for Scotland and obstacle course racing for the UK.
“It's an incredible experience but I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you're confident in your ability and understand all the risks.
“This is arguably an extreme sport and should be approached as such.”
