A young man is aiming to walk more than 1,000 miles in a kilt from Scotland to Germany for the start of the Euros.
Craig Ferguson, 20, is taking on the solo mission to raise funds for Brothers in Arms, a men’s mental health charity.
He will set off from Hampden Park in Glasgow on 4 May and will traverse through six countries with the intention of arriving in Munich for the beginning of the football tournament, which opens with the Germany v Scotland game on 14 June.
The Paisley waiter told Sky News he can’t wait to share his story with all those he meets on the road in his custom-made kilt and hopes they get behind his fundraiser.
Mr Ferguson, who works at a cafe, ran the idea past his boss while the pair were out having a drink at a concert.
“He thought it was amazing and was like, ‘100% you need to do it’,” Mr Ferguson said.
His planned route will see him trek 1,017 miles through Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
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‘The travel aspect of the challenge excites me’
He didn’t need to travel through Luxembourg to reach his final destination, but he added it to his adventure as he wanted to visit the country and take the challenge past 1,000 miles.
Mr Ferguson said: “The travel aspect of the challenge excites me – exploring different places in Europe I would never have gone to.
“There’s going to be days where I’ll be walking in these different European cities in the kilt and I think that’s absolutely brilliant.”
He intends to walk eight to nine hours per day. Although he will pack a tent, he has planned his adventure so he’s near a town or village each night and not “in the middle of nowhere”.
In preparation for his trek, Mr Ferguson has been keeping up his weight training and cardio workouts to ensure he’s at “peak physical health” going into the challenge.
He said: “It will be very strenuous. It’s going to be hard – I’m under no false illusion that that won’t be the case.
“I’ve also been getting my steps in by going out on big, long walks.”
‘I’ll be in my own head a lot’
At the moment the challenge is completely solo, but Mr Ferguson hopes his brother or one of his best friends can find the time to join him on a small stretch of the walk at some point.
He said: “It’s a long time to be away yourself, let alone to be doing a challenge like this.
“I’ll be in my own head a lot. That’s why this challenge ties in with the charity so perfectly.
“But I should cope okay. I’m used to doing a lot of things myself and I enjoy my own company.
“I know this is very different from going out for a leisurely lunch, but I don’t think the solo aspect of the challenge will worry me.
“There will be a lot of small interactions with different people – telling people my story and getting people involved – that will really push me on to complete the challenge.”
Mr Ferguson has launched a fundraiser via JustGiving and has collected more than £5,000 of his £10,000 target for Brothers in Arms.
The Scottish charity aims to tackle the stigma around men’s mental health and support all those affected to help reduce male suicide rates.
He said: “We’re over 50% of the way there on the money raised and I’ve not even took a step of the challenge yet, which has honestly taken me aback.
“I am so, so grateful to every person who has liked and shared [the fundraiser], and especially all those who have donated.
“It is all those who are giving their money towards the cause who will spur me on to complete the challenge. I’m so grateful to everyone.”
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‘You cannot question my commitment as a Scotland fan’
He doesn’t have a ticket for any of the Scotland games but plans to soak up the atmosphere once in Germany.
He said: “I’ll be tuning in to every game. At the moment I don’t have a ticket for any of them, so you cannot question my commitment as a Scotland fan at all.
“Walking all the way there without a ticket – that’s commitment on another level.
“I’m going for the enjoyment of the football and the atmosphere. It’s not often that Scotland even get to these tournaments. While I’m there, I’m just going to enjoy myself.”
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Mr Ferguson will still be in Germany when he celebrates his 21st birthday on 20 June.
He said: “That will be a nice way to celebrate my 21st birthday – in Germany getting a nice beer after that challenge.”
