30th November (day 269)

I woke just as the sun was coming up,  gradually as I regained consciousness the sky turned salmon pink. After having breakfast and packing away I set off still following the same road I'd been on for days. It felt like it would never end. As I hiked I kept looking across the loch, it was getting narrower which meant I would soon be at the top, or bottom depending on how you looked at it. I'd hiked about two miles when I felt a twinge in my right leg. I kept going for a bit, limping a little but eventually decided to take a break to rest up.

During the 3000 odd miles I've hiked since starting the expedition my body has had to put up with alot of poundings, falls, sprains, cuts and bruises. I've been really quite lucky that nothing serious has happened,  there have been several occasions where an injury could have ended my journey. With another 3000 miles or so to go I can only hope that my luck continues.

After taking the short break it was time to sling the pack back on and continue hiking. Passing Strontian I ceased the opportunity to grab a few packets of boiled sweets and 20 bags of green lemon tea. I'm not a big fan of green tea or any herbal teas for that matter but with only £4 in my pocket it was all I could afford.

The day was turning out lovely, the skies were still clear and the water was calm. I'd considered paddling hoolley across but I could now see the end of the loch and figured it would be just as quick for me to continue hiking round. Reaching the other side I decided to check how many meals I still had left in my pack. 4 breakfasts,  6 mains and a custard and apple desert. Not a bad tally. I was feeling hungry, I think the colder air takes it out of you a bit, so I pulled out  a packet of chicken with noodles in a black bean sauce and stopped for a lunch break. This was a rare treat but one that I felt my body needed.

Whilst chomping away on my lunch I gazed out over the loch the view was supurb. Looking along it I noticed a mist had begun to roll in changing the view quite dramatically. By the time I'd finished my chicken and noodles the mist had engulfed the entire loch and the temperature dropped significantly. I packed my saucepan, which was no longer round but more egg shaped, and stove away and begun the long hike back to the coast.  I was expecting it to take at least three maybe four days.

A good few miles later,  Finding a junction,  I left the main road.  When I say main road I mean single  tarmac lane. It was now heading on for 3pm which meant that the light would soon fade away into darkness. Not wanting to end up, as I did the night before, fumbling around in the dark looking for a place to camp I began keeping an eye out. Passing a river I stopped to fill up my empty water bottles not knowing where I'd next get the opportunity, which as it turns out was pretty much every couple of hundred yards.

About an hour later I found myself next to a woodland, it wasn't level by any stretch of the imagination but looking ahead was considerably more inviting than what was coming up. The slopes of the hills stretching far off into the distance were fairly steep and it looked like the woods were thinning out down near the waters edge. I made a judgement call to stop there thinking it would probably be the best I could hope to find whilst I still had light. The short days during these winter months are really quite a pain in the arse. I knew that given more daylight hours I'd be able to cover considerably more ground and maybe with a decent torch I'd have better luck in the night finding places to stop but unfortunately that wasn't a luxury I had. Choosing the levelist part of the slope next to the remains of an old tree I pitched up the coffin, which was now in quite a sorry state with small rips and holes and the poles slowly beginning to split. It wouldn't be long before the coffin would no longer be useful which on the positive side would mean less weight to carry but at the same time would mean I'd have to find more places to string up the tarp or forgo shelter altogether.

With camp made and the cold beginning to chill the sweat soaked into my tshirts I climbed into the coffin and rehydrated some chilli con carne and made a mug of hot chocolate. Then I could do very little else but wait till morning before I could continue my efforts to hike back to the coast.

29th November (day 268)

It was a cloudy overcast morning. I'd had trouble getting to sleep the night before, the silence was deafening. There wasn't a sound, no wind, the wildlife was silent, I couldn't even hear the water against the shore. It was dead silent.  It was 8:30am when I woke suddenly. A car passed by on the nearby road.

As I sat eating my smooth oats and raspberries I gazed across at the other side of the loch. I'd thought that I'd broken the camels back on the trek and that things were going to get easier. Alas it appeared I was wrong,  the far shore looked pretty wild and would surely be a challenge just getting back to the coast.

After breakfast I packed up and hit the road again on my way to Salen where I hoped I would find a shop to get some more coffee or hot chocolate,  black tea is ok but it's better taste is a little unpalatable first thing in the morning.
I wasn't convinced by the weather report I'd received on Facebook from Diane the night before that I would be in for clear skies and sun. Maybe it would clear up later,  I thought as I headed away from my temporary home back to follow the loch along the road.

I'd only walked a mile or so when I arrived at salen. Passing a small wooden sign declaring "pop up gallery" I pondered what it could possibly be.  Was it a gallery of pop up art similar to that of children's books where you pulled a flap and a man appeared from behind a door, maybe it was a collection of pictures, the type that appear 3d but are in fact prints cut and layered to give the effect. Maybe the whole gallery itself popped up. I was still none the wiser several hundred yards along the road but found myself strangely amused anyway.

A little further along the road I came across the village shop which was of some relief as I really didn't know when I would next  come across one. I went in with the sole mission of either buying coffee or a tub of hot chocolate. There wasn't a vast selection of coffees to choose from and they didn't stock the 3 in 1 sachets I preferred to carry so I opted for a plastic jar of hot chocolate which although was light and surprisingly low in calories tasted good and always lifted the spirits.

Whilst paying for the hot chocolate I chatted with the young lady who'd taken the shop over and discovered that jacob from Glenuig had told her about my challenge.  I was offered a lovely hot mug of coffee and continued chatting away. At that in walked an elderly gentleman, it was his 74th birthday. I didn't quite catch his name and his strong Scottish accent coupled with the fact he had no teeth and mumbled was a little hard for me to understand. He instantly knew about the challenge,  he'd read about it in the news paper, and wished me luck telling me how I was in for a treat and that he knew every inch of the forrests and tracks around the loch. He also mentioned something about the old days when you could go out for the night with 10 shillings and have a good time but I wasn't sure entirely what he was talking about.

Once I'd finished with my coffee I said goodbye and set off through the village,  apparently the next village at the end of the loch was a place called Strontian some 11 miles away. A distance I'd hoped to easily make before sunset. Walking passed the salen hotel i saw a ucalyptus tree, which wasn't something I'd expected to see in the Highlands especially considering eucalyptus trees are native to Australia and you really couldn't get much further from there if you tried. Attached to the tree and sat on one of the branches were two fluffy koalas. I had to stop to take a couple of photos. As I did Jonathan, the hotel owner, popped his head out of the front door "you look like you could do with a coffee" he called across. Not one to turn down a caffeine boost I agreed and followed him inside.

In the lounge area on the bar stood an old 1930s tin rnli collection box, well boat. It was ancient and the oldest I had seen so far on my journey. It was looking tattered and quite antique. Jonathan explained, as he handed me the mug of coffee,  that he'd inherited when he took the hotel on and that a tradition had started long before he'd moved to the village that if anyone dropped any coins on the floor they'd have to go in the boat. On one occasion a regular had a pocket full of coins and when he'd gone to pay for a drink he'd accidentally emptied his pocket onto the floor,  there was almost a hundred pounds in coins,  a good day for the lifeboat. The gentleman honoured the tradition without a quiver.

Sat at the bar sipping on the coffee I spotted a news paper and decided to take a look and catch up on recent events.  One story in particular caught my eye, black Friday. Black Friday is an American tradition where stores slash the prices on goods they can't usually get rid of, old stock. In recent years British stores have adopted this tradition which turns normal well behaved customers into savage beasts. Reading the article I found myself looking forward to the day of reckoning,  armageddon. I was appalled at the pictures depicting peoples inability to restrain themselves and act in a civilised manner. I then remembered a fact I'd seen displayed on an animated information screen back at the Nadurra visitors centre. "Where is the nearest shopping mall? " it said "130 miles" came the answer a couple of seconds later with a smiley face graphic appearing shortly after. I could understand why the locals loved the isolation away from the rat race, the bad behaviour and general lack of compassion for fellow human beings.

Before I left the hotel to continue on with the days hike I asked if I'd be able to use the bathroom to have a quick shave, my beard had begun to irritate me and I'd had enough of the itchy chin fluff, beards are not my thing.  Jonathan was more than happy to let me use the facilities and even handed me a clean towel. Feeling more like myself and I must say looking at least ten years younger I set off from the hotel to try and clear the ten or so miles to Strontian before nightfall.

The hike from salen to Strontian takes you through the oldest oak woods in Europe, the road followed the loch and wound its way between the trees up and down hill after hill. It was a pleasant walk but hard going at the same time. I'd walked for several hours straight but could see no sign of the village. The weather hadn't cleared up either in fact it began to drizzle for a while. The light was soon beginning to fade aided by the cloud cover and I knew that dusk would come sooner than I'd wanted.

Coming across a small river I stopped to fill up my empty water bottles,  I tended to leave them empty during the day to save weight, 1 ltr is about 1 kg in weight. I was really beginning to feel knackered now and for some reason it felt like day had dragged on a bit since leaving the hotel. It was about 3:30pm when I decided it was time to start looking for a place to camp, any later and I figured I'd probably have trouble finding a suitable spot especially using the rubbish head torch with its pitiful beam of dimmed light.

The road had gradually gotten higher and higher above the loch with steep slopes either side. It was going to be tough just finding somewhere level let alone suitable for erecting a temporary shelter. I was beginning to feel a little frustrated and my pace had begun to slow, it felt like the ten miles from salen to Strontian was the longest ten miles I had ever walked, which just goes to show how much difference a good nights sleep can make.

Stopping briefly to adjust my pack and stretch my aching joints I stepped off the road to allow a car to pass on the narrow single lane road. Instead of passing though it pulled up alongside me and stopped,  the drivers window wound down. The driver leant over to offer me a lift. Naturally I declined. "You training for something" he said "we don't usually see anyone training on this side of the peninsula, I'm in the service too". Seeing me dressed in camouflage I am assuming the gentleman had thought I was military,  I explained that I was hiking the coast and had been going non stop for nine months raising funds for the two charities but I didn't go into the story about how I'd met roto and that he'd given me the gear to help me manage through the winter months. As the serviceman pulled away he wished me luck and congratulated me on my endeavours, with that a bat swooped down and circled me twice. I'd seen alot of wildlife since the trek had begun and hadn't expected to see any bats. I stood and watched it for a while as it kept swooping towards me and circling around before it headed off down the road and disappeared.

It was now 4:30pm and it was getting dark, too dark to find somewhere to camp. The trees were blending into the darkness and I was beginning to think I'd be sleeping in just the bivibag somewhere alongside the road.

Finding an old bridge just off to the side of the road I decided to take a closer look. My back, shoulders and legs were aching and I was feeling decidedly hungry and the lack of sleep taking its toll. Once again I hadn't stopped for a lunch break relying on the sugar rush from boiled sweets to keep me going.

At first it looked like I would have to forgo pitching the tent or tarp but on the far side I found a small clump of trees which with a little imagination I was able to string up some rope and build a bivi using the tarp sheet. It was too dark to look for wood so I had to go without the luxury of a nice warm fire and the light it would have emitted. Immediately I boiled the water I'd collected and made myself a hot chocolate and rehydrated a chicken tikka curry.

As I lay in my sleeping bag, feeling exhausted trying to keep warm I could hear the patter of rain gently tapping on the tarp sheet.

27th November (day 266)

It was a fairly chilly night but as with most nights recently cocooned up in my goose down sleeping bag I found myself slowly removing layers for fear of boiling in my own sweat.

It was quite mild the following morning, I made breakfast and packed up ready to take on Ben hiant - the blessed mountain. I wasn't able to go around the front of the mountain because it was simply an impossible task which meant the only way I could stick close to the coast was to go over it. I had been told of a footpath leading around the back but looking at it from my campsite it didn't appear too difficult to simply make my way up one side and down the other. Ok so it was steep but by zigzagging and through shear determination I slowly hauled myself and my pack to the top. The almost panoramic views over the loch and Kilchoan were amazing. It was a good day for hiking too with a slight breeze and almost clear skies.

Naturally coming down from the top was considerably quicker than the mornings ascent. Making it to the bottom I came across the ruins of a village,  there wasn't much left except the outlines of what was left of the cottage walls. A stream ran alongside the village and towards the coast.  I decided I would follow the stream down to the coastal shores hoping it wouldn't lead me to a cliff and waterfall.  Thankfully it didn't, it ran down a reasonably easy slope to the shores.  The waters were calm and there was a tranquil peace, not even the ripples lapping at the shore made a sound.

The beach I had arrived at was stony with a grass verge. To help my progress I hiked along the short grass up above the stones. Coming across another stream I decided to stop and treat myself to some rehydrated custard with berries. The custard in these packs often end up a little lumpy and don't resemble the smooth creamy custard you would make at home or order in a restaurant but they taste like custard and always lift the spirits.

Continuing along the beach I had to make my way over a small ridge and down to the next stony beach, it looked thr same as the one before with a stony shore and grass verge. At the far end I made my way through a gap in the rocks and found myself on yet another stony beach. At the far end this time was a small sandy bay. To my left were the ruins of a small stone village and across a small river behind the sandy shore was a field of lush green grass. In the centre of the field was what looked like a tall gravestone. I couldn't see any discernable markings on it but at the far side of the field I could see a track leading up a slope to a road above.

My pack was beginning to feel heavy, I was probably hungry and tired but unable to continue along the shore I headed across the field and made it up the slope to join the road which began to follow the coast line anyway.

A little way down the road as it began to descend towards the water I passed a spring so I decided to fill up my bottles in case I didn't find any more fresh running water later. The day was nearly over, the sun was slowly sinking and was out of view. Without knowing what lay ahead I began looking for a place to camp.

It didn't take long to find a reasonable spot amongst the trees in a small woodland near to the road opposite a small bay. It was a perfect place to get the tarp strung up, gather firewood and settle in.

With the fire burning nicely and my belly full I lay back on my sleeping bag and relaxed. It was, as winter nights go, reasonably warm and calm.

28th November (day 267)

It was still dark the skies were clear i could see the stars clearly only I wasn't really able to fully appreciate the wonders of the cosmos,  I had a banging headache. Rooting around in my pack looking for some ibuprofen I remembered the package had been damaged a few days earlier and I'd had to dispose of them. I did however find the cocodamol roto had given me on skye. Checking the instructions attached by an elastic band and knowing they were painkillers I was relieved to see they contained paracetamol. Dropping two tablets it wasn't long before they began to take effect, a happy relief. 

It was around 8am when I finally woke to a clear sky, the sun was just beginning to rise. It was a chilly morning but with a fresh dry bite. The stream trickling passed the tarp was surprisingly calming. I boiled some water for breakfast, smooth oats with raspberries.  I'd run out of both coffee and hot chocolate but luckily still had a few tea bags. No milk though but at least it was some flavour.

I was just beginning to pack my kit away and collapse camp when a car pulled up and an elderly gentleman approached. He'd stopped off to see if I was ok. The hospitality of highlanders never ceases to amaze me. When I explained that I was on the challenge and that I'd stopped off the night before because it was getting dark he complimented me on my camp and was impressed by the use of the tarp. After he had left I continued to get myself ready for the days hike.

Rejoining the road, which was as close to the water as I could reasonably get without getting my feet wet, I continued on. It felt a little odd I'll admit after spending so much time traipsing across marshes and bogs, over hills and mountains but I wasn't going to complain.  It was nice to have a break from the adventure and I was looking forward to a few uneventful days, especially with the short days of winter.

The skies were completely clear, the sun was out but it wasn't too hot,  in fact the slight chill in the air was perfect and helped cool me as I lugged my pack along the road. I hadn't walked far when I was stopped at the driveway to a small house. Geoff  and his wife had read about the challenge in the northern times and had spotted me coming up the road. Geoff had come out to say hi and have a chat about what I was doing,  interested in where him and his wife could follow my progress. It was lovely gassing about some of my adventures and joking about the weather in Scotland.

I then continued on following the road until I came across the Nadurra visitors centre. I'd been messaged on Facebook and told that the centre did an amazing hot chocolate and was fortunate that the centre hadn't yet closed for the winter. I had to pop in and couldn't possibly pass by without trying one. The centre is part of a wildlife reserve and all manner of birds and wildlife often visited for the varied free food that had been put out for them. I  had hot chocolate with cream which I must admit was delicious, I'd highly recommend a visit to anyone who happened to be passing. Before I left I was given an oat and fruit slice to take with me which I later had for lunch.  Again it was delicious.

The road continued to follow the lochs shore over several hills. At times I wondered if it would ever end. As I hiked I began to think about what I would do once I got back to Southampton. Firstly I knew I'd need to get a job but didn't feel like I would necessarily go back to web design, well not full time anyway. I still wanted to promote the sites tony and I had developed and obviously keep the radio station broadcasting but I thought that maybe I should also learn a few things about sailing and maybe do some work with kids. I also felt that I'd have to start planning another challenge, but what.

I'd had several ideas since starting the trek. One thing I'd wanted to do was hike the Appalaichion Trail in America,  2600 miles across 14 states. This I'd wanted to do since completing the camino de santiago two years before. Another idea I'd had was to paddle board the length of the nile from source to sea. A real challenge,  a challenge that as far as I was aware nobody had ever even attempted. It sure was appealing.  Granted I'd have to look further into it and I'd have to get the planning right this time. It was certainly food for thought.

It was now getting late in the day and I only had a few more hours of light left. As I was quietly making my way still along the road a maroon van pulled up. It was the doctor I'd seen in Kilchoan. I thanked him again and confirmed that it appeared to have been my belt pressing on my pelvis that had caused me such discomfort for so many months. A mystery solved and well diagnosed by the doctor. We only had time for a brief chat as a camper van pulled up behind him on the narrow single road causing a bit of a traffic jam.

I was quite enjoying my day, an easy and relaxing day. The sun began to set so seeing a small waterfall I stopped to fill up my water bottles and a few miles later found a small clearing in a woodland by the lochs edge. After setting up the tarp and gathering firewood I settled in. The wood was slightly damp, which is to be expected at this time of year so I used the opportunity to use my new knife the voice of Scotland had sponsored to split the branches and reveal the dry cores. The knife made short work of the wood and it didn't take long to get the fire started and the water boiling so I could rehydrate a packet of chicken with noodles in a black bean sauce. As I sat warming myself by the fire I listened to the silence,  the crackle of the burning wood and the sound of an owl somewhere in the darkness.

26th November (day 265)

It was a lovely fresh cold winters morning. The skies were clearish and there was hardly a breeze. Although I felt like I wanted to lay in for another hour or so I dragged myself out of the coffin and packed up. I'd been thinking about what I could possibly get rid of to try and lighten the load but nothing sprung to mind.

I waited in the community centre, sipping a coffee and nibbling at some millionaire shortbread. 11:30 came and went, it wasn't until half an hour later I finally got to see the visiting doctor. After explaining what I was doing we got down to the business of checking me over. First we focussed on my feet, they were indeed rotting but the good news was that applying some cream, which I was given,  would help and the doc also prescribed a dose of tablets which I'd be able to collect from the next pharmacy when I passed one. I'd have to take the pills for four months to ensure no infection returned but I was happy with that. Next was the hip. Thankfully I know very little about human anatomy and as it turns out my hip is lower than I'd thought.  The problem lay in my pelvis,  after a good prodding the doctor told me that there didn't seem to be any physical problem and that it was most likely the waist belt on my heavy rucksack trapping a nerve. He suggested maybe adding extra padding,  such as a wooly sock in the area where I was feeling discomfort to ease the pressure.  I'll be honest I was dreading my appointment and had worried that I would have to turn a deaf ear to any advice the doctor could have given if it he'd suggested I couldn't go on. This was all good news and I felt quite relieved. To celebrate I thought I'd get another coffee before heading off to tackle the coast.

The coffee was hot and I'd got comfortable in Kilchoan but it was soon time to make a move, every hour that passed meant less light to hike with. Leaving the centre I had to follow the road away from Kilchoan,  whilst chatting to other patients while I waited I discovered that the section of coast from the village to ben hiant was currently closed to the public.  The land owner was renovating a castle that sat on the coastline and due to health and safety no unauthorised persons could pass through.  Fences had been erected to prevent any wanderers from accessing the land. I was a little disappointed however I had been told it was possible to get to the base of the mountain and make my way over to rejoin the coast on the far side.

It was a lovely day for walking, a gentle breeze and fairly clear skies all day. The hike away from the village was easy and a few miles along the road and passed the Castle I was able to leave the tarmac behind and head over the wild landscape towards the base of ben hiant. The sun was already beginning to set by the time I arrived and knowing that I would probably not find a good site to camp on the mountain I looked around for a spot sheltered between the undulating mounds near to a stream. I'd be slightly sheltered from the wind and have drinking water near by. With nowhere to tie the tarp to I opted for erecting the coffin and finished setting up camp just as the sky turned orange and pink. It was getting much colder in the evening now but I sat outside the tent with some rehydrated spagbol and watched the sun go down. Climbing into the coffin I felt excited once again,  a feeling that had faded during the past few weeks. Tomorrow I would start tge adventure once again, tomorrow I will climb a mountain and start a new chapter in the story.

25th November (day 264)

It had rained during the night but it was reasonably dry in the morning but crawling out from the warmth of my sleeping bag I immediately felt the chill. After I had packed everything away I left my back pack by the community centre and headed to the village shop to get a few extra supplies, such as gas and wet wipes. By the time I'd got back to my pack the irene had opened the cafe in the community centre. Today, I thought, is a rest day and time to catch up with my blogs, which by now I was about 10 days behind. I'd been finding it difficult to keep them up to date often finding my fingers so cold I couldn't tap away at the screen of my smart phone. I went in and ordered beans on toast and a coffee. As I was tucking in to my breakfast the visiting nurse walked passed. Just off the cuff I asked where the nearest medical centre was. 28 miles she replied. After a short chat she suggested that if I were around the following day that maybe I should get an appointment to see the doctor who would be holding surgery at the community centre. It seemed like a reasonable idea so I gave her my details and settled in for the day busy tapping away at the phone gradually catching up.

That night I once again pitched up the tent behind the centre and settled in hoping that the doctor would give me the all clear about my hip and foot problems.

24th November (day 263)

Although it rained a little during the night it was a calm dry morning.  Looking out from the coffin the skies were overcast but it didn't feel particularly cold.

My shoulder was still quite painful as I wrestled with the sleeping bag and made breakfast. I slowly packed up which was unusual as normally I tried to get ready as quickly as possible. Taking time to briefly check my gear and to see how much food I had left I was surprised to find I still had four main meals left. All the breakfasts had been consumed but having the equivalent of two days rations left and picking up more later on left me with a slight problem,  a nice problem but a problem none the less - where will I stow it all.

I left my pitch and headed along the road. Along the way I met an elderly gentleman off on a brisk morning romp through the hills. He was intending to hike to portuairk the opposite way I did the day before. When I asked him about the short stretch of coast I had decided to avoid he agreed I'd probably made the right decision, explaining the volcanic rock formations along there were steep and could easily crumble away. I felt a little happier knowing that maybe I had made the right choice in not attempting it injured with the excessive weight I was carrying.

Carrying on along the road was particularly easy although I felt cheated that after all I'd been through to get this far I was now having to miss small parts of the coast which I knew could probably be tackled but due to either carrying too much gear, loosing faith in my boots or personal injury or health issues I'd decided to not even attempt them. I needed time out. I needed space to sort through my kit and throw stuff away. I needed to make the decision as to how far I was willing to go to complete the challenge.

Kilchoan was the name of the village where I was to collect the last of my rations. It had been lovely receiving the support of those following and supporting my efforts but alas obce again the cupboard would be bare and I wouldn't know if or when I could expect anymore.

Ironically as I was thinking about the food situation I came upon the first 24 hour shop I'd seen since leaving Inverness.  Granted this was a garden shed selling local produce and it was unmanned but all the same the large painted sign on the outside stated it was 24hrs. Meaning it was left unlocked and it was up to you to serve yourself and act as a checkout chick adding up the amount you were buying and then putting the money into the honesty box inside.  I loved it. I went in and for some reason hoped there would be some fruit. Unfortunately it was really the wrong time of year for fruit in the Highlands and all that was available were jams, vegetables and strawberry vinegar. Still it was an amusing stop off and it lifted my spirits and took my mind if my worries for a short while.

Across from the shop was the most westerly hotel in Britain. I started to walk on but then it dawned on me that destiny had brought me to this place so that I could enjoy the most westerly coffee in Scotland, the cafe at the lighthouse at the point was closed and this was the next closest place. I went over, the door was open and the lights were on. There was however nobody there to serve me. I waited for a bit but still nobody came. Destiny it seems was taunting me.

I carried on to the village and headed straight for the post office to get my supplies.  Chatting with the post master I discovered that there was a community hall located at the other end of the village.  It was right by the coast and boasted having not only showers but also a small cafe which was open till 4pm. This, I thought, had to be a good place to stop and recover. The post master offered me a lift to the hall during his lunch break as he was going that way anyway but I obviously declined it however I did suggest that he could drop my bag off for me and I'd follow up on foot.

The community centre was about a mile from the post office and it didn't take me long to get there.  It was quite nice walking without the weight of the pack bareing down on my shoulders or digging into my hips. Eileen was working there covering for the lady who usually served in the cafe and after I'd had a couple of coffees and chatted she brought over a bowl of cauliflower soup and a roll. It was delicious and was a pleasant change to freeze dried rehydrated high calorie rations. At 4pm sharp  Eileen closed and locked up the centre and I headed off to find somewhere to camp. Passing the back of the centre I noticed a small grassy area just big enough to pitch the coffin on and decided that it would be the perfect place to stay the night. I'd just finished setting up camp when it began to rain.  I climbed in and made myself at home and rehydrated one of the four spare rations I had left over from the week before.