A CINDERFORD couple in their sixties have just completed the journey from Lands End to John O’Groats – all on foot.

Dot Flello and her husband Dave arrived at the northernmost tip of Scotland on May 16. In the process they have so far raised £3,512 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The couple have always been keen walkers, but the longest distance they’ve covered together before is around 350 miles. When they retired, they decided to set themselves a new challenge.

Dot told the Review that the experience had been wholly positive.

She said: “The thing that stands out the most is the kindness of strangers. We met so many people along the way and often they gave us a bed for the night or gave us permission to camp on their land.”

The couple left their home in St White’s Road and headed to Cornwall on January 22.

Dot said: “We set off at that time of year because we knew we’d arrive at our destination in May or June and that’s when the midges really come out in the west of Scotland. Dave reacts very badly to insect bites and this way we avoided them.

“We travelled north with the spring and saw daffodils on every single day of our walk. We met up with friends and family along the way, but usually we camped in the wild or sometimes stayed in bed and breakfast accommodation.

“We could have done it much more quickly on a bike – or if we’d done it with a support team - but we carried all our own kit and included some rest days where we could.

“We only had around 12 days during the whole time where the weather was really bad and luckily we always had the opportunity to dry out when that happened. When Storm Imogen hit, we met a lovely lady who let us stay in her caravan in her front garden until it passed.

“We saw something new every day and went along coastal paths, through countryside and small villages, along canals and through cities.”

The couple used maps from their local library to plan a route that avoided busy roads and took them along interesting routes. They then used GPS and bought a map system for their phones.

Dot added: “We didn’t get lost once.”

The couple kept a blog during their journey, which you can find at daveanddot.co.uk You can donate at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/daveanddot.

They plan to explore Britain further for their next adventure although Dot told us: “For the moment we’re very glad to be home and to spend time with our children and four grandsons again.”