The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter cover art

The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter

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The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter

By: Alex Roddie
Narrated by: Alex Wingfield
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About this listen

In February 2019, award-winning writer Alex Roddie left his online life behind when he set out to walk 300 miles through the Scottish Highlands, seeking solitude and answers. In leaving the chaos of the internet behind for a month, he hoped to learn how it was truly affecting him - or if he should look elsewhere for the causes of his anxiety.

The Farthest Shore is the story of Alex’s solo trek along the remote Cape Wrath Trail. As he journeyed through a vanishing winter, Alex found answers to his questions, learnt the nature of true silence, and discovered frightening evidence of the threats faced by Scotland’s wild mountain landscape.

©2021 Alex Roddie (P)2021 Vertebrate Publishing Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Walking Highlander Emotionally Gripping Thought-Provoking Outdoor

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All stars
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Just finished the audio book - really enjoyed it. A fascinating insight into long distance walking but also the impact of social media on all of us, both good and bad. And that happiness is best when it is a shared experience. Thank you for a great read!

Great read ! More than a walking book

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quite enjoyable but my god the accents are terrible. if you can't do accents, don't do them.

the accents are dreadful

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A lovely exploration of the meaning of solitude and modern influences, with the stunning backdrop of the Cape Wrath Trail described in evocative detail. Lots of new ideas to mull over… on my next walk.

Wonderful.

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Listener received this title free

Weaving hill walking, the Scottish Highlands and the Cape Wrath Trail into a deeply personal narrative about loss, connectivity and the anxiety of social media into an escape in the wilds of Scotland. A great easy listen for anyone. Will interest hill walkers and folk looking to the outside world to get them off the sofa and away from TikTok etc.

superb book for the modern age

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A great account of Alex's winter expedition on the Cape Wrath Trail. Certainly made me think about the amount of time I spend online and the importance of your own thoughts and solitude. Helped me to expand my plans for the year ahead and seek some silence.

Inspiring and thought provoking

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The story/book is excellent, but the narrator's attempts at Scottish and Northern English accents are cringeworthy...

Thought provoking work

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A well written story about a winter walking adventure on the Cape Wrath trail combined with many personal anecdotes. Many listeners will agree with the sentiments that Alex has about the trail and life in general. In particular his views on social media are thought provoking.
It was an easy book to listen to and well narrated and I was captivated until the end.

An excellent listen

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An informative and well written account of a long distance trek in the Northern Scottish winter. Shot through with reflection on our modern preoccupation with social media. I would have welcomed more rich descriptions of scenery and nature and less on walking gear.

Long distance Scottish digital detox.

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For those who prefer non-fiction, especially an adventure story, Alex Roddie’s The Farthest Shore is a most excellent listen. Subtitled “Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter”, this is a book all about Alex’s 2019 300-mile hike in the Scottish wilderness.

Alex headed out on the Cape Wrath trail to run away from the chaos of the internet for a month. I mean, he’s got me right there – while everything the internet gives us access to is brilliant and wonderful and all the rest, it’s also incredibly exhausting. He hoped to learn how the constant connection to all the things all the time was truly affecting him.

This isn’t just a story of an adventure, but also a mediation on modern life – the impact of social media, the constant distraction provided by apps on phones, and on how these things affect life’s biggest moments. Alex effortlessly weaves the adventure in with the commentary on life, and I found myself nodding along as I listened, even though such an adventure is not something I can imagine tackling.

Thankfully Alex also gives you everything you need from prose about a really long walk, too. There’s plenty of talk about nature, the weather, gear, and people. There are missing bridges and wet sleeping bags, tent frustrations and whisky found in bothies. So even if you’re not quite ready for a dialogue on the interplay between outdoor adventure and modern-day life, then this is still worth a listen.

This book provides all the anecdotes about the mental and physical challenges associated with the Cape Wrath Trail in winter, with the added bonus of some real insight into the meaning of life along the way. One of the best adventure books I’ve read this year.

One of the best adventure books of the year.

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A captivating account of a Mad Dogs & Englishman Adventure - set in the wet winter of Scotland. The tale follows both the adventure & the clarity of thought the walker was able to reflect upon. In the current time of almost too much social media competing for attention the chance to both go somewhere without a mobile phone signal to cleanse the palette & see if that helped raise personal happiness levels - whilst taking on a serious challenge for any experienced walker, was fully embraced. A good tale that will make the reader better for indulging in it...

Enjoyable, but could have developed the tale furth

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