Downhill All the Way
Walking with Donkeys on the Stevenson Trail

In 1878, Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey, Modestine, spent twelve days walking in the Cévennes mountains in France, as he recounted in Travels with a Donkey. His book became an instant hit and the route he took is now the Stevenson Trail, along the GR70 long-distance footpath.

Over a period of four years, Hilary Macaskill and Molly Wood attempted to retrace his steps. In the course of several trips they negotiated the entire 212 kilometres of the Stevenson Trail, accompanied by Whiskey the dog and a variety of donkeys. This hilarious account tells of the ups and downs of handling donkeys, getting lost, encounters with some odd people and some particularly memorable meals.