Charity wild camper at end of 6 month Scotland trip

A man who has been wild camping in Scotland for six months to raise money for a homeless charity will end his epic “life changing” journey this weekend.

Wayne is nearing the end of his six month wild camping trip. Picture: submitted

After a spell of being homeless himself, Wayne Hall decided to raise money for Shelter UK and after several months fundraising set off on a trip that would take him to some of the most remotest parts of the country.

His final stop will be Loch Ken in Dumfries and Galloway on Saturday.

Wayne set out on his journey with his German Sepherd Jerry from his Cheshire base in February this year.

A love of Scotland’s wilderness made the destination choice an easy one and Wayne used his time away to keep an online journal and taking some photos of the far flung and lesser known places in which he found himself. Building up a large and loyal following via Facebook and Twitter, Wayne has managed to meet up with some of his fans along the way, who have helped spread the word and donated money towards his cause.

Wayne said there were too many highlights on his trip to mention.

He said: “Countless. The sunsets, the solitude on Isle Martin, the lovely people we’ve met, the nature and scenery, the deer, otters and bird life and of course real quality time with my dog. To be honest, every day was a highlight”

Howeverver Scotland’s harsh northern terrain presented a number of challenges while on his travels including nic tooth ache whilst on a remote westerly island, keeping his tent in place despite rough storms and fighting of squads of midges.

He said: “Jerry has been priceless. We’ve been through a lot together on this trip and there have been times where we’ve both struggled but having each other made all the difference.”

Having hit his £5,000 target, Wayne says he returns “satisfied, humbled, thinner and extremely proud” but says he is keen to return to Scotland’s great outdoors again.

He said: “I couldn’t be away from this kind of environment for long as I’ve fallen rather heavily for the great outdoors”

Pictures and updates from Wayne’s trip can be found at www.facebook.com/6monthsinscotland and on Twitter @6mthsinscotland.

His donation page can be found at www.justgiving.com/sixmonthsinscotland