In a bid to raise funds for the Algarve’s children’s charity ACCA, Bob Beatson, Captain of the Carvoeiro Golf and Country Club, undertook an arduous 400km sponsored walk in Scotland
Bob Beatson started his ambitious walk in the Isle of Skye on 4 July and hopes to arrive at Edinburgh within a couple of weeks. Members of his club here have been generous with their support, sponsoring his journey and raising money for ACCA’s worthy causes. Captain Bob and Pauline, his lady Captain, are staunch supporters of the charity and have worked tirelessly to generate donations totaling some €2,000 even before the sponsored walk was mooted.
Another way of creating awareness of the work of the charity, and encouraging donations through sponsorship here and in the UK, Bob is finding the experience rewarding. He reported back, early on, that he had spent the previous few days on the West Highland Way, a classic trail, although he was walking in the opposite direction to others, meeting more than 200 people on some days. The weather, he said, had been pretty changeable – four seasons most days with summer being the shortest!
On Day 6, he walked the 23km from Fort William to Kinlochleven, the former aluminium smelting town and some 650 metres of ascent.
The following day was a short but tough nine-mile trudge to Kingshouse Hotel, an old coach-house in the middle of nowhere and a steep 680 metres ascent – the Devil’s Staircase in more ways than one.
The 29km walk from Kingshouse to Tyndrum – on the wettest day of the venture thus far – was long and uncomfortable because of the weather, and the evening’s entertainment at the pub that night was, in Bob’s view, the worst ever!
So far, Bob has walked in all type of conditions from wet and windy to humid and sunny. He has been joined by family and friends for some parts of the walk, and the locals he has met en route have made sure his water supplies are well topped up. He has avoided blisters so far, but suffered a shin splint on his right leg which is making things a bit more uncomfortable; ice packs and painkillers are helping, but it is his overwhelming enthusiasm that is seeing him through. He still has some 251km to go, so fingers crossed for him!!
You can do your bit for ACCA by sponsoring Bob. Donations can be sent direct to the charity’s account:
ACCA
BancoBic
Vilamoura Branch
NIB 0079 0000 4342 6419 1012 2
Donors are asked to contact Jenny Harrison on 936 249 667 / jennyharrison50@hotmail.com so that ACCA has details of how much Bob’s walk has raised.
