ST. JONES, Netherlands. A kilt-wearing Scot and his dog took an 8,000-kilometer walk across Canada on Sunday in an icy breeze at the summit of Cape Spear on the eastern edge of Newfoundland.
Michael Yellowles and his Alaskan husky Luna began their journey in Tofino, British Columbia nine months ago.
“I feel very excited, but I can’t believe it’s done,” he said as he approached the finish line on the coast, where it was a busy -2 C. “It will take a couple of days to drown. v.”
Yellowley, a native of Dunkeld and Byrnam in Scotland, has embarked on an epic trek to raise money for a conservation group that wants to plant trees in the Scottish Highlands to revitalize the Caledonian Forest.
The 32-year-old highlander, who raised more than $ 60,000 for the charity Trees for Life, wore a kilt every day of the trip, including during a blizzard in the Rocky Mountains and cold rain in Newfoundland.
“When you move and as long as your core stays warm with enough layers, you stay warm enough,” he said in an earlier interview. “We’re stuck with this. It was a kilt all the way. “
When asked why he decided to take a walk in Canada, he said that he wanted to draw attention to the vast forests of this country, which are in stark contrast to the almost treeless highlands.
“It’s a pretty barren and bleak landscape,” he said during a break on Saturday afternoon. “It shouldn’t look like that at all. It used to be forested from coast to coast. “
Pine forests have long been cleared for shipbuilding and to stimulate the growth of the British Empire, he said. In addition, thousands of Scottish Highlanders emigrated to Canada during the clearing of the highlands from 1780 to 1860, when farmers were evicted to make way for sheep.
Some of the descendants of these immigrants still reside in Cape Breton, where the Yellow Streets quickly noticed many Gaelic place names.
“The further east I climbed, the more I felt at home,” he said. “People stopped their cars, I got into them, and they spoke to me in Gaelic. … … … There is a common heritage. “
As for his companion Luna, Yellowles said the ex-sled dog went on the trip calmly.
“They are raised at a distance. Daily mileage is minimal for a dog like Luna. She was amazing. “
Worn out four pairs of boots, Yellowles said he was physically exhausted. He planned to spend the next two weeks in St. John’s, resting.
In retrospect, Yellowles said he would always remember the kindness shown by so many strangers.
“People all over Canada were amazing getting out, showing their support and bringing food to the side of the road,” he said. “The hospitality and friendship I have shown is breathtaking.”
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