Pet dog Nora enjoys a leisurely walk as part of her daily exercise routine.
But the three-year-old labradoodle is set for a much bigger challenge on the adventure of a lifetime later this month.
Nora will join owner John McKay and his friend Peter Henshaw on a six-day pilgrimage along St Oswald’s Way in Northumbria.
The trio are raising funds for East Cheshire Hospice where John was a doctor from 2007 until 2011.
He retired six months ago after a 34-year career, the last 11 years spent at Macclesfield District General Hospital where he now works as a chaplain twice a week.
John McKay (left) with Peter Henshaw and Nora.
John and Nora warmed up for their 97-mile trek by hiking 38 miles on the Gritstone Trail last month.
John said: “Nora did better than me! It’s the furthest I’ve walked and the Northumbria challenge will be a big test.
“Nora was quite chipper. I wanted to see how she reacted and she seemed happy enough.
“I’m very much a supporter of the Hospice. I remember how well they looked after the staff as well as patients and the patients were very well looked after.
“They’re a dedicated and thoughtful team. I learned a lot there and I applied the same principles from the Hospice across my work in in nursing homes.”
John is Deacon at St Philip’s and St Peter’s Catholic Churches in Stockport where the congregation includes Peter, who also attends St Alban’s in Macclesfield.
Peter walked 207 miles from his front door in Macclesfield to Walsingham, a medieval pilgrimage site in Norfolk, last September.
This next walk traces the footsteps of St Oswald, the Anglo-Saxon king who played a significant role in the introduction of Christianity to England.
Starting in Heavenfield next to Hadrian’s Wall, their moorland and coastal route ends on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Peter said: “Walking is the ultimate escape. You get up, eat breakfast and don’t have to think about anything other than reaching the next place.
“I enjoy the peace and quiet and don’t look at any news or TV for a few days.
“Spiritually, it allows you to listen to God better and on any pilgrimage the journey is as much a part as the destination.” * To sponsor Peter, John and Nora visit justgiving.com/page/peter-and-johns-st-oswalds-way-sponsored-walk