‘I’m a walking expert – here is the most enchanting place in the UK’

Walking the length of the UK in memory of her late mum, an expert walker explained she’d never seen anything as enchanting as Loch Ness in Scotland. 

Harriet Thomas’ vivid description on her podcast brought to life the autumnal scene, using “stunning” “magnetic” and “immense” to convey its beauty. 

She said: “I’ve gone through stunning woods with citrus yellow leaves and bronzed moorland with pale pink heather. Glimpses of brooks through the trees and the immense Loch Ness made the whole experience magnetic and enchanting.”

The loch, steeped in myths and legends, is immense indeed; stretching about 23 miles and reaching depths of approximately 755 feet, it’s one of the largest freshwater lakes in the UK by volume. It’s also home to a variety of wildlife, including salmon and trout, as well as ospreys and herons.

The 61-year-old from Chichester is walking 900 miles on a circular route from Land’s End to John O’Groats in the hopes of raising £25,000 for Dementia Adventure in memory of her mum, Susan, who lived with dementia. 

She’s sharing her journey on The D Tour podcast, echoing the message of Dementia Adventure which encourages people to embrace the outdoors and enjoy the healing benefits of nature, just as her mother did.

She said: “When she had dementia, mum was calmer in nature. It’s a sensory place. The temperature of the air, the breeze in her hair and on her face, the scents, the colour of flowers all seemed to light her up. 

“She may have said nothing all day but when we were smelling a rosemary plant or listening to a bird, she would say ‘lovely’ or ‘beautiful’. 

“It was as if nature touched the deepest part of her that dementia couldn’t reach and I’m walking for Dementia Adventure so other families might get the chance to have similar experiences.”

Susan was Baroness Thomas of Walliswood, a businesswoman and a Lib Dem peer before she passed away aged 87 in December 2023.

It is estimated that 982,000 people live with dementia in the UK, expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.