The TGO Challenge is an annual self-supported walk across Scotland, from the west coast to the east coast. The Challenge is unique in that each participant (or team of up to 4) must plan their own route and be responsible for their own safety during the event. A certain level of backpacking experience, and experience of the sort of conditions Scotland can deliver, is required to be accepted onto the event.

I undertook my first TGO Challenge in 2017, and loved it so much that I’ve applied every year since. It’s an addictive event that for me offers an unmatched combination of solitude, walking with friends and like-minded people and social opportunities. Each participant can create a route that fits how they like to walk, and part of the joy of the Challenge is unexpectedly bumping into Challengers in the middle of nowhere.

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