CastleTrek is a small team of enthusiastic guys who are embarking on the 470-mile walk from Windsor Castle to Edinburgh Castle, with two sets of bagpipes in tow, to raise funds for the Household Cavalry Foundation and Royal British Legion, two charities close to their hearts…
The team, made up of current and ex-Household Cavalry servicemen and civilians, will depart from Windsor Castle on 29th July, and cover the distance in two sub-teams that will pass the bagpipes between them like a baton at each handover point. This mammoth mission will culminate 10 days later, on 7th August, at the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, where they will be part of the pre-show entertainment.
All funds raised will go towards the support and rehabilitation of injured soldiers, some of whom are very good friends of the team, who bear mental and physical injuries, as well as to soldiers, ex-soldiers and families affected by injuries and death sustained from operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Falklands, and Bosnia.
This is not intended as the trip of a lifetime, but is one they will remember for a lifetime. It is not a trek through an exotic location, nor is it is an attempt to lose weight or to summit a lofty peak. It is a test of endurance and determination, emulating the challenges faced daily by the people whom their chosen charities help to support, and fostering the spirit of camaraderie that underpins the Armed Forces.
The team will be undertaking this with as little financial cost as possible, to ensure all funds raised can go directly where they are so sorely needed.
A CastleTrek support team of specialists is in place to handle, amongst other things, driving, logistics, physiotherapy, and media.
The route breakdown is as follows:
Day 1 – Windsor Castle to Bletchley
Day 2 – Bletchley to Coleshill
Day 3 – Coleshill to Derby
Day 4 – Derby to Doncaster
Day 5 – Doncaster to York
Day 6 – York to Catterick
Day 7 – Catterick to Sunderland
Day 8 – Sunderland to Otterburn
Day 9 – Otterburn to Lauder
Day 10 – Lauder to Edinburgh Castle
Welcoming parties have been arranged at each location, and team captain, Martin Semple, will be performing his comedy routine ‘Stand-Up Soldier’ along the route at Windsor, Bletchley, Coleshill and Derby.
For more information on the route or locations in your local area, or to get involved and donate, please visit www.castletrek.org.uk or contact troops@castletrek.org.uk