Why Nearly 100 Veterans Are Heading to the Scottish Highlands

Nearly 100 veterans will travel to Scotland to take on the Cateran Yomp, a 54-mile trek through the Scottish Highlands completed in just 24 hours.

They trained for months.

They raised funds.

They rallied their families, friends, and communities around a mission bigger than themselves.

And soon, they'll step onto the trail together.

I'll be there too.

As Executive Head Chef, I'll hike every mile alongside them while helping ensure they're fueled for the journey ahead. But after more than a decade of supporting the Yomp, I've learned something important:

The real fuel on that trail isn't food.

It's each other.

Here's what I mean.

"I came to the Cateran Yomp to reconnect with the version of myself I knew as a Ranger. At one checkpoint, a fellow veteran approached me. We'd never met, but she had just lost a close friend to suicide and asked if I would walk with her.

That emotional weight was heavier than anything on the trail, but it was an honor to carry it. By the final stretch, I was the one starting to break down. But she wouldn't let me quit. In the beginning, she chose me to carry her, and by the end, she was carrying me.

That's what Yomp is."

– Specialist Adam Green, U.S. Army (Ret.), Yomp 2025

Adam's story captures something that's difficult to explain until you've experienced it yourself.

The Cateran Yomp is certainly a physical challenge. Fifty-four miles through the Scottish Highlands will test anyone.

But the reason veterans return year after year has very little to do with the miles.

It's about connection.

It's about shared experiences.

It's about knowing that the person beside you understands your journey in a way few others can.

Along the route, veterans encourage one another through difficult moments, celebrate victories together, and build friendships that often last long after the final mile.

That's what makes the Yomp special.

As we prepare to step off this year, I'm reminded that some of the most meaningful things we carry aren't in our backpacks.

They're the stories, support, and connections we find along the way.

That's what Yomp is.