Robson Green has taken a bold step at 60 – and it wasn’t in the script! The Grantchester star has revealed he got his very first tattoo after completing a life-changing pilgrimage in Spain, and the story behind it is just as inspiring as the ink itself.
In a spontaneous moment after walking over 90 miles along the legendary Camino de Santiago, Robson decided to mark the journey, quite literally, with a tattoo of a scallop shell on his upper arm. The shell is a powerful symbol of the Camino, representing the many paths pilgrims take to reach Santiago de Compostela.
“I’ve loved this pilgrimage on the outside,” Robson shared, “but for me, it’s been more about the journey within.”
The actor’s trek is part of his new travel series, Robson Green: The World’s Most Amazing Walks, airing Monday 27 October at 8pm on U&Yesterday and BBC Select. The show follows Robson as he explores breathtaking trails across the UK and Europe, but he admits the Camino was his favourite, and the most emotional.
“The walk leaves an indelible mark on anyone who does it,” he said. “So much so, I got a tattoo.”
The scallop shell isn’t just a pretty design, it’s steeped in history. Pilgrims once collected real shells from the Galician coast as proof of their journey. Robson was especially moved by the story that the shell’s ridges represent the many routes leading to Santiago.
Back in the UK, Robson went straight into filming the final season of Grantchester, where his new ink was spotted by a guest actor in the makeup chair.
“He saw the shell and said, ‘Oh, you walked the Camino. Buen Camino.’ So now I’m officially part of the Camino club!”
And while the cameras have stopped rolling, Robson says he’ll definitely be returning to the Camino – next time, just for himself.
