The Walk Challenge UK - 2012 is an event organised by the Royal Dutch Walking Association (KNBLO-NL). The UK walk is over the period 16th to 31st August 2012 and has walking days in Northumberland, Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, Shropshire, Wellingborough, Brecon Beacons and Cardiff. The event ends at the London Paralympics.

For more information on the WCUK 2012 and the KNBLO-NL click on this logo above.

The walking event in the Scottish Borders will be on Monday 20th August and has been developed in consultation with Walking Support, and the Access, Ranger and Economic Development personnel of Scottish Borders Council.

The walking curcuit that is going to be used is based on Core Paths, sections of the Borders Abbeys Way and St Cuthbert's Way. In total it will be 13 miles in length starting from Melrose Abbey and finishing at the Greenyards Rugby Club. The route is defined by the red dots on the map below.

The main image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-Map service. Images reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

The Challenge is going to be the third such event organised by the KNBLO-NL, the prior events being the 2008 China Challenge that incorporated the Beijing Olympics and a 2010 Israel Challenge. Both events attracted large numbers of walkers and the anticpated number on the UK Event is between 300 and 400.
The particpants are transported throughout the fortnight by a fleet of coaches and they will start arriving in Melrose from 8.30 am onwards, with staggered starts over the following hour. The route is first heading east on the Borders Abbeys Way then via Trimontium before picking up the waymarked path at Broomhill that leads to the River Tweed below Monksford. The route is then by the river bank until it again picks up the Borders Abbeys Way to the west of Tweed Horizons and takes this route all the way to Mertoun Bridge. The route now crosses the Tweed and picks up the St Cuthbert's Way for its entire return leg to Melrose, finishing at the Melrose Rugby Football Groups for a final gathering and civic welcome. By 4.30 pm the participants will start to embark on the coaches that will then travel to Edinburgh for an evenings entertainment and overnight stay.

A large number of individuals and organisations will be contacted and involved in the successful delivery of this days event. It is seen by those already involved in the planning as a great opportunity to showcase the Central Borders and the extensive facilities for activity breaks and holidays. It is the Scottish Borders Council's belief the this event is likely to see significant independent return visits from many of the Dutch participants in later years, and thereby bringing future economic activity to the area.

The parties that have been or we plan to contacted soon over the planning period are:

• Scottish Borders Council (various departments and officials)
• Landowners along the length of the walking route
• Council and Local Community Dignatories
• Police and British Red Cross
• MRFC and the Melrose Pipe Bank
• Historic Scotland
• Traders who are on the line of the walking route and local accommodation providers who may want to promote their services
• Local walking groups and the Trimontium Trust

This may not be a totally complete listing and any person or organisation that believes they have a part to play or input into the events success should make contact with Walking Support, who have been commissioned by the KNBLO-NL as the primary Melrose Event Co-ordinator.

For more detail on the Challenge or to seek additional details contact Walking Support in the first instance by e-mailing, or address being info@walkingsupport.co.uk.

This webpage will be used as the principal source of updates and the delivery of additional information. Where information is specifically related to one person or organisation Walking Support will communicate directly with them but shared information will be posted on this webpage.