Anyone walking straight ahead in a developed country, even in remote regions, will soon come across a paved path or road.
In the Scottish Highlands there is still a dead straight route that runs 78.55 kilometers through untouched nature - and this route has now been mastered by two hikers for the first time.
Jochen Buchsteiner
Political correspondent in London.
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For four days, 32-year-old Calum Maclean and Jenny Graham, 41 years old, climbed mountains, traversed furrows and moors, rummaged through tall heather and climbed over fallen trees. Packed with two 16-kilogram rucksacks in which food and tents were stowed, they arrived at their destination after just under 84 hours. Maclean said at the end of the ordeal, "I'm glad I did it, but I wouldn't do it again."
With their direct route from Drum Jungs Pass to Corgarff, the two Scots are the first hikers to walk across the Cairngorms National Park. As the BBC reported, there have been several unsuccessful attempts after the Ordnance Survey defined the route a few years ago. Jenny Graham, who also holds a record for cycling around the world, told the BBC: "I've hiked all over Scotland and the Alps, but this one tops it all."
They have climbed some mountains in the Cairngorms before and knew the area very well, but this route has led to completely new places. You should have felt "like explorers", enthused Graham. “Nobody has probably ever set foot here. It was a really cool moment. ”Graham said she also learned that the simplest idea - just walking in a straight line - is not always the easiest to do.