A Perthshire musician is walking 5000 miles across Canada with his guitar and his dog to raise funds to help restore Scotland’s lost wilderness.
Michael Yellowlees, from Dunkeld, is walking from Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island on the Pacific Ocean to the east coast of Newfoundland on the edge of the North Atlantic.
Michael, 32, has already raised over £24,000 in support of the Highlands-based rewilding charity Trees for Life after nearly 700 people donated to his JustGiving page.
He is completing the trek — which is roughly the equivalent of walking from Dunkeld to Istanbul and back — with Alaskan husky Luna.
Scotland’s lost trees
He started planning the epic nine month trek three years ago while walking in the Scottish Highlands, in the hope of restoring “some of the wilderness that has been lost over the last few hundred years”.
He said: “It is a beautiful landscape but with a strong sense of sadness because of the absence of woodland, wildlife and people.
“So I decided then to walk across the great wilderness of Canada to raise funds for Trees for Life and its work to restore Scotland’s Caledonian Forest, at a time when the world is on high alert over climate chaos and biodiversity loss.”
Michael worked in Vancouver for a spell, looking after sled dogs, to help fund his venture.
He set off on March 1 dressed in his Ancient Pride of Scotland tartan kilt and with only his guitar, former sled dog Luna and a few belongings in a three-wheeled handcart.
Covering up to 50km per day, his adventures have included encounters with black bears, listening to the howling of wolves at night and snowstorms while crossing the Rocky Mountains.
Trusted husky ‘disappeared’ for a week
The challenge was put on hold for a week, however, after Luna jumped out of his canoe following a waterway section of the Great Canada Trail and vanished into the dense wilderness in an area of Northern Ontario.
Michael said: “I was totally distraught. For months, we had been best friends and had looked after one another.
“After seven days and seven nights, just as I was giving up all hope, Luna appeared like an apparition, strolling casually back as though nothing had happened — although she had lost some weight.”
In 1867, legendary Scots naturalist John Muir completed a famous 1000-mile journey on foot across North America from Kentucky to the Gulf Coast.
More than a century and a half later, Michael is on course to emulate the iconic feat five times over.
He is currently in Quebec, after trekking across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Michael told how he and Luna have been given a warm reception wherever they have gone in Canada, which has a strong Scottish heritage, and pipe bands have heralded their arrival into some towns.
Trek scheduled to finish next month
He expects to arrive at his final destination, the headland of Cape Spear in Newfoundland, in early November.
He added: “The warmth of the people has been amazing. In every town and village people have offered me food, shelter and donations. So much kindness.
“I’ve been accompanied into towns and cities by marching pipe bands and interviewed by newspapers, radio and TV.”
Trees for Life is dedicated to rewilding the Scottish Highlands by enabling the restoration of the globally unique Caledonian Forest which once covered much of Scotland.
Its volunteers have established nearly two million native trees at dozens of sites, “encouraging wildlife to flourish and helping communities to thrive”.
‘Big task’ to restore Scotland’s nature
The charity recently announced the launch of Affric Highlands, a 30-year landscape-scale rewilding initiative to restore nature across an area of over 500,000 acres stretching from Loch Ness across the central Highlands to Kintail in the west, and encompassing Glens Cannich, Affric, Moriston and Shiel.
The community-driven venture aims to tackle the nature and climate emergencies, and create social and economic opportunities in the region.
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, said: “We have been following Michael’s journey across Canada with awe and admiration.
“Restoring native habitats and wildlife to the Scottish Highlands is a big task that no one can do alone.
“But Michael’s extraordinary trek is proof of the power of the individual to make a difference.”
To support Michael and Luna’s fundraising on their rewilding journey, visit the Just Giving page.