WalkingSupport - Newsletter - Summer 2014 St Cuthbert’s Way This walking route has been particularly active this spring (as far as Walking Support is concerned) with many enjoying this 62.5 mile / 100Km route. It has very varying and attractive countryside ending up with a crossing of the causeway to enter the Holy Island on the Northumberland coastline. This was takes its name and a significant part of its interest and history from the 7th century monk Cuthbert, who was both the Prior of Old Melrose and Lindisfarne. The opportunity to now access the location of this 7th century monastic community has recently increased and there are now monthly guided walks around the Old Melrose site. If this is of interest to walkers of this long distance walk then you can find out more by linking to www.stcuthbertsway.net/oldmelrose.html. There is on this page a link to a downloadable PDF history of “Mail Ros” – the Bare Headland, and the story of this early monastery. Special Offer Walking Support is a one stop planning and booking business for self led walks on the following long distance routes: Great Glen Way Rob Roy Way Cateran Trail West Highland Way Fife Coastal Path Forth Clyde and Union Canals Southern Upland Way – Sir Walter Scott Way Borders Abbeys Way St Cuthbert’s Way St Oswald’s Way Northumberland Coastal Path Hadrian’s Wall Path – Roman Heritage Way Weardale Way For those wanting to make use of our services for walks on any of these routes in the months of August and September 2014 we are for the next 3 weeks offering a 20% reduction on our planning and booking fees. This applies to individuals or group up to 8 in number. To receive this offer you need to quote REF No. P&B8-9/14 at time of first contacting us. Walking Support will as with all our clients provide you with an outline plan and cost estimate before there is any commitment to use our services. All packages are tailor made to the clients requirements, we do not offer standard off the shelf walking holidays. To visit comprehensive websites on almost all of the above walking routes simply click on www.walkingsupport.co.uk/routes.html and highlight the one that is of immediate interest. New Walking Routes Shortly we will be promoting our services to the Deeside Way. This is either a walking or cycling route in the NE of Scotland linking the City of Aberdeen with Ballater in Royal Deeside. Having walked this route it has much to offer and it falls into the category of a shorter long distance walk, one that could be undertaken in three day or a long weekend. We have just set up a home page for this Way www.deesideway.support and over the coming weeks we will be adding content to the site and making it resemble the sort of detail that can be found on our other walking route websites. Encouraging dialogue via Social Media Walking Support has had its Facebook site www.facebook.com/WalkingSupport for some time and we are keen to see this develop further with much more postings and hopefully more dialogue between ourselves and the social media viewers. We would like to encourage as many of you that are on Facebook to link with this Facebook site, the more that do the more active the site will become and the better the content that will result. We are always interested in comments on the any long distance walking routes and with your help data on the routes present condition, on temporary diversions or great place or things to see on the walks could add to other walker’s enjoyment. Raising the profile of 2 Circular Walks So far this year we have been receiving very positive feedback from walkers on two of Scotland’s non-linear walks, from the Cateran Trail and the Borders Abbeys Way. The attraction for some walkers is the fact that the start and end point can be at the same point and that that point, especially on the latter can be at any of the overnight stopping points. Both routes seem to be liked for the scenery and local interest along the route, but in both cases the walkers comment on how underutilised the route appears. This may for some be a benefit, but for others and in general it may threaten the level of support services that will grow up around these walks. With this in mind, Walking Support is very keen to enter into a dialogue not only with walkers but the accommodation and service providers on both of these route to explore how services can be enhanced, promotion increased and therefore a resultant improved experience for walkers. Please respond to this by e-mailing [email protected]. Finally, if you are a service provider to any of the northern UK long distance walking routes and are looking to boost business through promotional offers, why not contact us at this newsletter and it may be possible to add your promotion to a future Newsletter. Equally any long distance walker with an interesting experience that they would like to share, please let us know and we again might be able to publish. .