Zimbabwean-born adventurer Nick Ray, 61, has completed a 1,600km walk between the four cardinal corners of Scotland. Ray arrived at his finish point of Dunnet Head, the northernmost point of mainland Scotland, on Saturday.
On May 1, the veteran adventurer started at the Mull of Galloway in the southwest of Scotland. He walked northeast to Peterhead, the easternmost corner, before heading back inland through central Scotland to the westerly extreme of Ardnamurchan Point. From here, beginning July 6, Ray hiked north toward Dunnet Head.
Ray kayaked 4,800km around the coastline of Scotland in 2022-3. In 2015, he kayaked a 2,900km route around Scotland, visiting every lifeboat station along the way.
The Four Corners route. Map: Nick Ray
For this long-distance walk, the former outdoor instructor chose to avoid much of the coastline he had previously paddled. Instead, he explored the country’s interior, such as the Flow Country, a large area of peat bog in Caithness and Sutherland, in northern Scotland.
Hard times prompted adventure
Ray lives with chronic clinical depression and survived a suicide attempt in 2019, where he jumped from a ferry into the tidal waters of a sea loch. A year ago, he also faced a stint in hospital with clinical depression and further thoughts of suicide.
During his 2022-3 kayak around the coastline of Scotland, Ray suffered what was initially thought to be a suspected stroke, later diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy.
Ray largely camped wild in a simple trekking pole tent, although friends hosted him on occasion. Photo: Nick Ray
“My own journey through the darkness has taught me that there is hope and strength in seeking help and support,” he told the John O’Groats Journal.
Simple joys
Ray’s social media posts throughout the journey tell of the simple joys of life on foot. “Walking close to 1,000 miles has been good for me. You can see I’ve lost weight! I’ve also lost a lot of mental angst weight, too!”
Along the way, he met other walkers, battled midges and poor weather, and found moments of peace in the solitude of the Highlands.
“The scenery was incredibly beautiful and the heather glorious,” he wrote. “I’m so fortunate to have enjoyed this amazing three-month experience.”
His route from the west took him through the Pentland hills near Edinburgh and across the famous Forth Road Bridge into Fife, along the Tay Estuary. Turning inland, Ray headed into the Cairngorms.
In the Cairngorm mountains of central Scotland. Photo: Nick Ray
In central Scotland, he crossed the remote and striking Rannoch Moor near Glencoe, and later in the northwest, he climbed Ben Resipol, a long-held goal.
On the summit of Ben Resipol in northwest Scotland. Photo: Nick Ray
Rain, bog, and insects were frequent companions, with posts like: “Today, I’ve been assailed by midges…If I stopped walking for a brief moment, I was covered in them. Thank goodness for my headnet.”
The Scottish summer brings midges or ‘wee beasties,’ as Ray called them. Photo: Nick Ray
Rediscovering joy
Beyond the physical challenge, Ray’s Four Corners expedition also served as a personal journey of recovery. Around a year earlier, he had been admitted to a psychiatric ward. “Where I am right now, 630 miles into my four corners expedition, is a testament to the fact that recovery is possible.”
From coastal cliffs to moorland bogs, Ray’s path was shaped as much by weather and footsoreness as by planning. “It’s going to be a self-care day. I’ve a raging headache & shivery ague. Plus, it’s not the weather to walk across Rannoch Moor.”
But his resilience remained constant. “After a day in heavy squally rain & trudging through interminable bog, there’s nothing like getting the tent up, donning warm dry clothes, and making a restorative hot drink.”
The wet and wild westernmost point of Scotland. Photo: Nick Ray
The journey ended just after midday on August 2, with Ray’s arrival at the Dunnet Head lighthouse.
Solitude in the northwestern mountains. Photo: Nick Ray
Nick Ray’s Four Corners walk wasn’t only about reaching geographic milestones. It was, in his words, about rediscovering joy. “This undertaking is more significant than my others. At the age of 61, I’ve rediscovered joy.”
“I feared today because of the unknown. It turned out to be a day on my journey I’ll remember as a highlight. Starkness and beauty together.” Photo: Nick Ray
