We catch up with Moth and Raynor in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic on their thriving farm in Cornwall. Moth’s health is as bad as it's ever been as he struggles to walk short distances and has a fall that makes them worry his decline is reaching the point of no return. Raynor can’t help but hold on to the hope that their previous long distance walks gave her. Wracked with guilt, she broaches the topic of another one. When the state of the world allows it, they head north to tackle the Cape Wrath trail, famously one of the toughest, wildest walks the UK has to offer, and one Moth has always dreamed of. The fear that she’s pushing him too far, doctor’s words about not doing anything too strenuous circling her mind at every sign of difficulty. Moth has lost the confidence of his stride and developed a vertigo that makes scrambling up the sides of mountains a real challenge. As they battle bad weather, closed cafes, and communities that are suspicious of any outsiders, will their longest walk yet give them the miracle they’re dreaming of?
As they wind their way through the wilds of Scotland, Wynn reflects on the challenges of the communities they pass through. Many cafes won’t let them inside for fear of Covid, shops are bare of supplies because stock is held up at the ports in Brexit bureaucracy, and the landscapes are frequently devoid of the wildlife that should be there. She talks about the overfarming of land and how it is stripping away the goodness of the soil, losing the insects that signify a healthy ecosystem. Their own land in Cornwall has flourished with their gentler approach, with wildlife re-emerging. She often comments on the climate emergency and the role humans have and continue to play in it.
The remote northern reaches of Scotland, once quiet communities, have become overrun since the North Coast 500 route was formalised. Now cars and campers line every spare section of road, parking dangerously and harmfully to local residents. They nonetheless find solitude in much of their walk as they move away from the well-trodden paths and roads, finding their own way. By the time they reach Fort William and the popular West Highland Way, the number of walkers make it feel busy compared to the emptiness of the landscapes they’ve traversed to get there. Along the way they have encounters with animals and birds, some of which they haven’t seen for a long time. When times are good the joy and peace of nature shines through.
Winn doesn’t shy away from the difficulties. Of course, they have Moth’s declining health to contend with, but there’s also the relentless rain, dwindling supplies between far flung shops, and the continual challenge of finding somewhere to camp. There are times when it all feels too difficult and they consider turning back, getting a bus to the closest town and taking a train home, but the call of nature is strong, as is their dedication to each other. At the heart of all of Winn’s books is her love for Moth, their shared life, and the confidence and hope it has given them both. There is sadness, of course, at the possible end being close, but it is this that drives them to try everything they can to make Moth well, to give them more precious time together.
With Landlines we return to a more linear story, and one that will inspire and give us all hope. Moth and Raynor are a remarkable couple, putting themselves through extreme challenges, but with a feeling that they are exactly where they are meant to be. It is also nice to see them be able to afford to stop in B&Bs and to buy a bowl of hot chips when they want to, a far cry from The Salt Path where they were having to make pennies stretch across weeks. A love letter to nature, their marriage, and friendship. A lovely read.
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