A Scots journalist is aiming to become the first recorded person to cross Saudi Arabia north to south on foot.
Edinburgh-born Alice Morrison, 61, averaged around 23km per day for seven weeks and covered 930km as she travelled from the Jordanian border to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
The second half of her walk is scheduled for October, from Medina to the border with Yemen and spans 1,500km.
Alice was the first woman to walk the length of the River Draa in Morocco with camels and is determined to have a new record under her belt.
She told STV News: “I walked across volcanic fields and desert to Medina. I was exhausted but excited about what I’d discovered.
“We found so many things on this route – Stone Age hand axes, Bronze Age tombs and threshing stones from the times of the Dedanites. We even had parts of the Hejaz railway on our path.
“I’m glad no one’s done this before – I hope no one will beat me to it!”
Alice, who is travelling with the help of a support team, has faced some challenges along her journey, including blisters on her feet on the first day.
“I was walking a half marathon every day and they get worse and worse,” she said. “It was very sore. But they have healed and it was fine in the end.
“The sun there is very hot, so I have to cover up or I’d burn. It did rain one day so there’s a picture of me with an umbrella in the desert. A man in a car stopped and gave it to me.”
The walk will be done in two stages due to the timing of Ramadan and the extreme heat, with temperatures often soaring above 50C in the summer months.
Alice, who studied Arabic at university and previously lived in the region, said she hopes to shift perceptions and “amplify the voices” of the people she meets on her journey, especially women.
“I thought this country wasn’t having its full story told,” she added. “We’ve got this image of women being oppressed and uneducated, kept at home, but that’s not what I’m seeing.
“I think the women I’ve met would be annoyed by that description and find it patronising.”
During her travels, she has encountered the kindness of local families who stop to offer rides, food, and even perfume.
“I didn’t expect it, but they’re really into the spirit of the expedition. They’re on board and excited about it.
“A couple million saw my TikTok in Saudi. People come up to say, ‘Great what you’re doing.’ That’s been really nice.
“I’m trying to be an ambassador for Scotland. I want to learn more about the people I meet. It has been very rewarding.”
Alice said she will focus on preparing for the second leg of her mammoth challenge including hiking over the summer to harden her feet.
She said she is looking forward to walking with camels Juicy and Lulu, who accompanied her on her trek.
Supplied“I call them my emotional support camels,” she joked. “Juicy is a strong-minded female; she strides about. Whereas Lulu is a sweetheart – she gives you kisses and takes orange peels delicately from your fingers.
“Camels are fantastic – they can go without food and water for eight days and are so patient.”
She added: “I won’t let them escape or run riot quite so often this time.”
Alice hopes her adventure will inspire other women to go on their own trips – even if it’s one closer to home.
She said: “We’ve all got it within us. I would encourage as many women as possible to get out on an adventure, even just going to the Pentlands or Ben Nevis.
“We live in a very difficult world today – one way to increase understanding is to meet people face-to-face.
“The more we meet other people, the better we’ll make our world. Just go and explore.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
