Joining Tayside Young Walkers has transformed Meha Pande’s life since moving to Dundee two years ago.
It has helped the 34-year-old to feel more at home in the city as well as improving her physical and mental wellbeing.
To mark National Walking Month in May, Meha has been speaking to us about the benefits she has experienced from joining the walking group and the positive impact it has had on her health.
Meha, who had been living with her family in Delhi, India, came to Scotland in 2016 to study a PhD in English Literature at St Andrews University.
After she completed her degree, she was offered a job at the university as a wellbeing adviser in student services and moved to Dundee in 2021.
How did Meha find out about Tayside Young Walkers?
Meha explained: “My friend Kate was one of the colleagues at work who I first met in Dundee.
“She has been a part of the group for a few years and invited me along to one of the walks she was leading at the time.
“The first walk I went on with the group was an evening walk – the Tentsmuir circuit from Tayport.
“I loved my first walk, but as we get a chance to do three trial walks before joining, I waited until my third before I asked myself if I wanted to stay and the answer was an instant yes!”
Developing a love for walking
Meha didn’t do a lot of walking when she was growing up in India.
She revealed where the interest first came from: “My interest in walking emerged from when I picked up photography as a hobby a few years ago,” she explained.
“Being a busy and populated urban city, Delhi does not offer much scope for connecting with nature, but a park close to my parents’ house luckily happens to be home to some lovely birds.
“And it was there I discovered my love for being in nature and the sense of calm it brought.
“This developed into my love for walking, and I then travelled within India to places where I could hike and walk.
“It was only after moving to Scotland that walking became more of a day-to-day activity for me. Now, I am someone who just cannot do without walking daily!”
About Tayside Young Walkers
Tayside Young Walkers, which was founded in 2014 and has 115 members, meets most weekends for walks.
It holds social events once a month which have included: pub quizzes, paddle boarding, bake offs, ceilidh dances, barbecues and wine tasting.
And the group also offers weekend trips away.
Trips on longer weekends have included visits to places like: Jura, Skye, Arran, Homogony in Oban, Snowdonia, Aviemore, Braemar, Torridon, Ullapool, Callandar & Trossachs, Fort William, and even Norway.
Meha said the group has also helped her to make friends in Dundee.
“I made friends on my first walk.
“We were a small group that evening, and one of the other people on the walk was also new to the group like me.
“There was an instant connection and during that two hours of walk, we had a long conversation.
“My friend from that first walk could not stay in the group longer due to her other commitments, but she now happens to be one of my closest friends in Dundee, who I am so grateful to have.”
Regaining fitness after the pandemic
Tayside Young Walkers also helped Meha to regain her fitness which she had lost during the Covid outbreak.
“Towards the end of the pandemic, I had completely lost a fitness routine due to the closing of gyms,” she said.
“After my PhD, alongside a five-day 9am-5pm job, I found a general lack of motivation towards starting healthy routines again.
“But the walking group helped me greatly with getting back on track.
“I started with some local evening walks as they made me get out of the house after work instead of being on the couch in front of the TV!”
Meha also noticed that she started to sleep better after walks too.
Tayside Young Walkers are part of Meha’s social life
Meha said the group is an integral part of her social life in Dundee and has stopped her feeling lonely when she is so far away from her family.
“Having the group means I always know I have a bunch of people to reach out to and at least one friend (if not more) who’d be up for a walk or a coffee!
“Even after all these years in Scotland, I have not adapted completely to months when we see shorter, darker days and as a group we have socialised and walked together through these months, which has helped greatly.
“I do miss my parents and my sister. We have always been a family who have travelled and explored places together.
“But the group certainly helps me do what I enjoyed doing most with my family in India.”
A lovely community to be part of
Meha would definitely recommend Tayside Young Walkers to others:
“I would definitely recommend this group to anyone who is new to the city, loves to be in nature, or even wants to try something new.
“It is a lovely way to see the beautiful sights that Scotland has to offer, connect with people, and boost physical health through walking.”
Meha added: “With work that I love to do, and a lovely community that I am part of, I don’t see myself leaving Dundee anytime soon!”
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