Long Trot - Grant Nicolle

In 2007 Grant Nicolle, formerly a Captain in the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, embarked on a challenging adventure to travel the length of the UK with a horse. He bought a horse, Marv, in the January, undertook preparatory training and detailed planning before setting off from John O' Groats in the Spring. Keeping off the main roads and often sleeping in the same field as Marv, Grant explored the fascinating byways, tracks and minor roads through rural Scotland and England. The generosity and welcome he received in every village he visited was positively uplifting. Stretching the route to ensure he could share the trip with friends and family, this was a chance to put into practice his military endurance, navigational and equestrian training and also see parts of the country that so often get missed. With no back up or replacement horse, Grant and Marv headed for Land's End, some 1100 miles away. This is the story, told in mostly diary format, of that adventure, in the hope that others may undertake similar travels.