THE midges, he says, are a gigantic pain in the neck, but otherwise Wayne Hall's planned six-month trek of sleeping under the stars and foraging for food around the wilds of Scotland has got off to an uplifting start.
Accompanied only by his German shepherd, Jerry, and with a phone and an iPad to keep him in touch with the outside world – he updates a Facebook blog regularly – the 46-year-old has dropped out of society in order to raise money for the homeless.
During his travels, which will stretch to 182 days, Hall will subsist on a foraged diet of fish, berries and edible plants. He could shed up to 30lbs in weight.
A self-employed tiler in Staffordshire, he recently lost his home after his landlord died and the property was sold. Disturbed by the speed with which his stable lifestyle collapsed, he decided to go on a tour of Scotland to highlight the perils of modern life and fund-raise for the homeless charity, Shelter.
Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: "Having just lost his home, he is already thinking of how he can help others. At a time when funding for our vital services is under threat, people like Wayne make a real difference."
He left home at 6am last Sunday and made his way to Ardtoe on the west coast.
"I spent the night there next to the beach," Hall said, "which was just wonderful, and the following day I moved up to Loch Morar, near Mallaig. We loaded the canoe and paddled out for 45 minutes to one of the biggest islands on the loch, and spent three days there. We pitched camp and just soaked up the atmosphere.
"Part of the trip for me is bringing the camera and taking a lot of wildlife and landscape photographs.
"The only thing I'm struggling with is wifi and 3G in order to upload pictures."
After leaving Loch Morar, Hall made his way to Fort Augustus in search of a signal.
"I was literally knocking on doors and a kind lady in the Lovat Hotel let me use their wifi," Hall said.
On Thursday, Hall made his way to Loch Maree, which is on the road to Gairloch. "It's one of the most beautiful lochs in all of Scotland – I've been dying to visit it for years." He texted one of the administrators of his Facebook page: "O M G! Loch Maree! Where have u been all my life?"
The isolated but physically beautiful attractions of Scotland have been a key factor in his motivation.
"That's really been the whole reason for the trip here," Hall said. "It's pointless doing it in England. England's not the kind of country to do this trip in, but Scotland is perfect."
The dog is enjoying it as well. "I've had him up here many times before and he's having a great time. I've given him a good tick treatment so I hope we'll manage to keep the ticks off him," Hall said.
His March itinerary will see him heading north for Loch Assynt in Sutherland and gradually making for the Summer Isles in the mouth of Loch Broom, then inland to tiny Loch Achall.
April will involve Loch Maree, down to Loch Kishorn then a long haul to Loch Affric.
Future stopping-off points include Kentra Bay, Loch Lochy, Loch Leven, Loch Etive, Loch Awe, Loch Sween, Loch Garten and Galloway Forest Park.
"Every place on the list is an area of natural outstanding beauty," said Hall. "They're all quiet and unspoilt pockets of nature that have escaped mankind thanks to the efforts of organisations such as the RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Forestry Commission."
He hopes to return home to Cheshire in late August, in time for his birthday. He's just a few days into his adventure but already Hall has raised £2000 for Shelter.
"When I found out I was to lose my home of nine years, my initial reaction was sheer panic," he said. "I didn't know what to do. Then I realised that actually I'm quite lucky. I'm in a position to find a new home and settle down somewhere else. Others are not so lucky.
"I chose to raise funds for Shelter Scotland because I empathise with anyone who has lost the roof over their head or is at risk of homelessness. It's one of the most frightening things a person can go through. That's why it's so important that organisations like Shelter Scotland are on hand to help."
He added: "I love the quiet up here. I've been living on my own for more than 10 years, and it's been me and the dog for the last six, so this is normal for me. The solitude and the lack of human company I don't expect to bother me too much.
"But the midges have been a pain. We've tried everything, but nothing works. There are two times of the year when midges have major hatching seasons and you need to be out of midge country, because nothing will work. Hopefully, when we reach the coast, the sea breeze will keep them off."
Visit www.facebook.com/6monthsinscotland; www.justgiving.com/sixmonthsinscotland
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