Humans of the Walk

"I live alone and lockdown made me feel incredibly isolated. I am a keen forager and I usually go to specific areas to pick seasonal wild foods. Being unable to access those areas made me explore the local flora more carefully. To share my experience with others, I used chalk to name each plant I saw growing around the village.

I received an incredible amount of positive feedback from my community. Local people were learning (and teaching their kids) about the flowers they saw. I created a chalk-graffiti foraging trail of over 50 edible plants in Kincardine."

"Walking has been really important to me during lockdown. It’s been our break from the house, our family bonding time, and a chance to discover new routes on our doorstep.

My kids started enjoying our walks much more after that and specifically asked to walk there. I think the rabbits and deer running about made it an attractive option and it was so big we kept finding new areas to explore. I think some of our best lockdown memories will be our walking memories."

"I lost my job three weeks before lockdown. It was a very frustrating time, so it was great to be able to go out for a walk. It improved my mental health and connecting with friends and family through walking was really important and helped lower my personal anxiety levels.

Walking gave me a much more optimistic, cheery outlook on life, at a time when things were not the best."

"Knowing that I had only one designated outing for exercise per day made me determined to use it. I made sure I would enjoy every moment I had close to nature.

Not only does walking provide you with a chance to switch off from the pressures of working life, but I have found it can also allow you to think clearly about work tasks away from the confined space of the office or home."

"Walking has saved me. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker, growing older, and for a period I would struggle to move anywhere without feeling pain in my legs.

Yet, through perseverance and self-intervention I began walking again and I can feel myself recovering physically and mentally – it was like a medicine for me. I will never again underestimate the power of walking."

"I began feeling claustrophobic while we were stuck in lockdown. My husband and I were both working from home. I spent most of the day looking after our toddler.

Walking prevented me from going stir crazy. It allowed me to find a new appreciation for the outdoors, step outside and take a big breath of fresh air and gave me a chance to zone out from the pressures of work."

"Walking allowed me to continue a routine during the hectic lockdown. I would wake up at 5.50am and be out the door for my morning walk at 6am.

Getting out in the fresh air, really connecting to the outdoors and discovering areas that I have not been before has been really influential for my health and giving me the feeling of achievement and setting me up for the day with a positive mind. There is no need for me to go back to a gym now."

"By late March I had a few favourite walking routes and started to see familiar faces each day. At first we greeted each other with a polite nod, then a hello, and a few weeks later we would have a quick chat as we passed each other.

Seeing friendly (and now familiar!) faces definitely lifted my spirits. It made me feel less isolated and made me realise that a lot of people were in the same position."

"Going for a walk is just awesome. Me and mates have learned that playing computer games all day is never fun. It makes you annoyed and stressed. Going out walking never makes me feel like that.

When we’re outside, we’re running around, we see more wildlife, there’s so many things to see. I would have been miserable without it, definitely."

"I volunteer at the Scaladale Outdoor Centre and love to go cycling, swimming, running and hiking. So when lockdown hit my options to keep active became limited. Walking and exercise were the key to getting through the lockdown period.

We live in a stunning remote area, but being confined to our house was difficult. Being able to walk, exercise, chat and have a laugh together was great. It felt like we got to know our kids all over again."