Alan stays with me throughout all the miles as his mind slips slowly away

The first glimpse of the Tay Bridge through the mist and drizzle was a special moment. I felt some excitement and anticipation. Our pace quickened, except for pausing every hundred yards or so to admire the view and take yet another photo.

For Alan and I, this point marked the end of our 81-mile walk along the Fife Coastal path from the Forth Bridge to the Tay Bridge. As long-distance walks go, it was not a challenging walk of great heights, or remote terrain. We've done many longer paths in the past, but for us this was a major undertaking and significant as probably being the last long-distance walk we're able to do together.

My husband, Alan, 58, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six years ago. The accompanying losses along the way have sometimes felt hard to accept but the knowledge that I'm losing my walking companion is a particularly difficult one to come to terms with.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alan has progressive aphasia and early on in the disease, communication through speech and understanding was a major loss. A large aspect of the difficulty is the words themselves, almost as if he is hearing and trying to speak a foreign language.

Yet behind the words, some of the memories of experiences remain. Speech has almost all diminished now and understanding is difficult unless the speech is broken down into very short, direct phrases.

To walk the whole distance as a continuous walk day after day would have been too stressful, so we did it in three separate sections between July 2009 and April 2010. We set off on a bright summer day to walk the first part – North Queensferry to Leven. We covered eight to 10 miles each day. By our completion, this April, though, four to five miles had become the new norm.

Living with Alzheimer's calls for some flexibility of planning and often I booked accommodation for two or three nights in the same place, so that we could stop just before the goal if needed, or extend it when motivation and energy allowed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leaving North Queensferry, the Forth Bridge provides a wonderful view. It's a magnificent structure, a great feat of engineering as the world's first major steel bridge. It was completed in 1890, built in the shadow of the terrible Tay Bridge disaster on December 28, 1879.

We walk mainly in silence. I suspect that some level of appreciation and wonder at the beauty of little things around us has also diminished, but it's hard sometimes to understand what Alan is really thinking.

Map-reading skills have vanished too. For an organised, confident man who has set up and run his own very successful business in the manufacturing industry, and been used to travelling various parts of the world, it is hard for him to be dependent on me.

As we neared Kirkcaldy, one of the highlights of the walk greeted us unexpectedly. Twenty or so grey seals were basking in the sunshine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It's the surprises along the way that help to make walking a delight. Speech and understanding come second place to the quiet companionship shared with nature's treats.

Distance is now measured for Alan not in miles, but through coffee, lunch and tea breaks which have more meaning. Most days along the route I heard myself saying: "We'll be there by our afternoon cup of tea."

Leven to St Andrews in the autumn was undoubtedly the prettiest section of the walk.

We left behind the old coal mining areas of Wemys, and heavy road walking of Buckhaven, Methill and Leven, and stepped out into a picturesque world of quiet coves and delightful little fishing villages and harbours along the coast. Between them and beyond were long stretches of sand dunes, cliff walks, and remoter areas where we watched that the tide was out long enough for us to walk the distance on the beaches below the cliffs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For many miles from the start, the Forth Bridge kept peeping back into view, getting smaller and smaller. As it disappeared, two other more familiar landmarks accompanied us: the North Berwick Law and Bass Rock. These are significant markers to us both (though generally viewed from the other side of the Forth) and maintained interest for many a mile.

We walked alongside a few of Scotland's golf courses. Having been a golfer, Alan still watches with interest as a golfer tees off. He has been a keen sportsman, though his first love is still rugby.

St Andrews, the historical home of the links golf courses, marked the end of our second leg of the walk. Although there had been a few tough days of greater confusion on this section, this point felt a good achievement and boosted my confidence that we would be able to finish the walk. Only 21 miles to go.

In St Andrews, we were greeted by some of the family, which is always our best tonic. We were all exhausted yet refreshed

with the fun of an aquarium visit with the children and

an afternoon out on the town.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

We are blessed with four young grandchildren as well as four children and they all make a huge difference to our lives with fun, closeness and loving support.

My favourite moments of the walk were the unexpected sight and sound of the seals, the panoramic views and the warmth of welcomes at our B&Bs.

I would say Alan's favourite moments were spotting yet again another view across at the North Berwick Law, and by a huge lead, receiving a pint of beer at the end of the day.

At the end, he experienced the sense of achievement as I did, but the pleasures are changing and the journeying is undoubtedly harder.

n The Alzheimer's Society is organising 12 Memory Walks on Sunday, September 12, including a new walk at Roundhay Park, Leeds. For further or to register your interest, visit www.memorywalk.org.uk

Related topics: