MICHELE BIANCO CERAMICS

It’s now 25 years since my first trip to the west coast of Scotland. It was a camping trip, shortly after finishing university and I have such strong memories of pure white sand, shimmering turquoise sea and an overwhelming sense of quiet and space. I was immediately hooked and returned most years afterwards, travelling up and down the west coast and a dream of having a place to live there near the sea took root. It took me a long time to refine the dream and to find the perfect spot but eventually in 2011 I bought a piece of land with planning permission for a house.

It then took me another six years to build my house and studio but during that time I was travelling up and down regularly from Yorkshire to the North West Highlands, sometimes by car, sometimes by train and once or twice by plane. On each trip I caught glimpses of interesting things along the way – maybe just quirky place names on road signs or fleeting views up windswept valleys – but always I was focused on getting from A to B so didn’t take time to dawdle. Then shortly after my house was completed I was walking in the hills and looked down on the view of Loch Torridon stretching away towards the Atlantic and I immediately thought how nice it would be to complete the long journey I’d done so many times in a rush on foot, taking time to notice things along the way and to arrive over the pass and look down on the loch where my new house and studio are.

I initially started the walk later that year (2017). At the time I had a new rescue dog Foxy and she and I set off from Yorkshire with tent and enough food and equipment for both of us to survive for at least 2 weeks. My destination for that first leg was Haltwhistle via the Tees Valley Way and the South Tyne Way. We hit terrible thunderstorms at the top of Teesdale and it turns out that Foxy isn’t an enthusiastic or well-behaved long distance walker/ camper so after that trial run the project was put on the back burner while I regrouped.

This summer I started to think about it again and with the approach of my 50th birthday in 2023 I decided to restart the walk and combine it with making work inspired by the walks and it became “50 walks/ 50 works”. I’ve revised my route and the logistics from my initial attempt. Foxy is going to lodge with my sister while I borrow her dog Flora (who is much more even tempered and never tires of walking) and wherever possible I’ll be staying in B&Bs so won’t need to carry a tent or too many supplies and can enjoy a duvet and a hot shower each day!

So tomorrow I’m heading off from Haltwhistle for the next stage of my route. If all goes to plan I'll be walking over 1000km before the end of 2022. I’ll be doing the journey in multiple sections with the aim of documenting the journey with sketches and photographs and then getting back into my studio in between trips to make work based on the walks. I hope to share stories and images along the way in the coming months and also progress from my studio of the works I make. I’m really excited (and slightly nervous) about this challenge and can’t wait to get my walking boots on.