From Mountain to Sea

From Mountain to Sea is a 220 km walking artwork creating a new route across Aberdeenshire — from Ben Macdui to the North Sea at Peterhead. Conceived as part of Scotland’s Covid-19 Memorial programme, it was not just a one-off walk but the creation of a lasting path that now serves as a living memorial across the Shire.

Over two years, more than 200 people joined me to walk and talk about how the pandemic affected their lives. At each meeting, a pink tablecloth was laid for tea, cake and conversation; over time, this became embroidered with participants’ names and messages — a tactile record of connection and care.

Benches made by Chris Nangle and tunes composed by Paul Anderson mark stages of the journey, inviting others to sit, listen and reflect. An illustrated map and a short film document the route, making it accessible to future walkers and communities.

Following Patrick Geddes’s “valley section” principle, the walk connects mountain, farmland and coast — mapping both geography and emotion. It celebrates resilience, remembrance and the power of walking together.

From Mountain to Sea endures as a new walking route, an evolving artwork that links people, place and memory. Some of the stories can be found here.

To complement the project I was working with two other artists. Chris Nangle produced a series of handcrafted benches along the route. Fiddler Paul Anderson created a series of 30 tunes for the different places, views and sentiments.

For more information about this project, see Live Life Aberdeenshire or visit my blog.