EfW Net readers may have seen me at Energy from Waste conferences over the years, talking about conversion of waste to Sustainable Aviation Fuel. For most of the last decade I’ve been leading the Altalto Immingham waste-to-SAF project, developed by Velocys in collaboration with British Airways; I’ve also been closely involved in the development of the SAF industry and regulations.

However, this summer I’ve swapped my suit and laptop for walking boots and rucksack: a friend and I are walking 666 miles from my home in Oxfordshire to the Isle of Islay in Scotland, with several others joining us for parts of the journey.

Islay is about the size of Greater London, but has only 3,000 permanent residents. It is a wonderful place, with a great variety of scenery and wildlife. Also, due to a combination of history and geography, it is the source of some of the world’s finest malt whiskies.

The Miles to Malts challenge is a personal quest which has been developing in my mind over many years, but it's also been inspired by the Pennine Way Challenge that my dear late friend Susan Fletcher Watts created three years ago, when 180 of us walked part or all of the 260-mile Pennine Way together and raised over £100,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. MND is a devastating and surprisingly common disease, affecting 1 in 300 people and rendering them progressively incapable of moving any part of their body. There is no cure today, and most people with MND don't live more than 3 years from diagnosis. The MNDA funds research to seek a cure, and provides vital support to sufferers and their families.

Susan’s response to her MND diagnosis was an inspiration to us all – to make the best of what time we have, to share experiences, and to support a vital cause that improves the lives of others. Susan died in 2023, but her legacy lives on; we're dedicating this walk to her memory and raising further funds in aid of prevention and cure of MND.

I’ve been fascinated with long walks as long as I can remember, and some years ago conceived the idea of walking all the way to Islay in one go. This will be a unique route, picking footpaths to take in interesting hills and visit friends along the way. The whole thing will take seven weeks, and we’ll climb 2.8x the height of Everest during our 666-mile trek. Please visit www.miles2malts.com where you can donate, follow our progress, listen to our evolving playlist “Track of the Day”, or simply encourage us and wish us luck.