Image may contain: Person, People, Human

This incoming Aberdeen fresher is walking 1,000 miles in homage to The Proclaimers song

He’s walking from London to Aberdeen and back again


Jack Mackey, a 19-year-old soon-to-be Aberdeen student, is walking a 1,000 miles, from London to Aberdeen and back again.

He arrived in Aberdeen last Monday after walking 500 miles from his home in London, and is currently walking home, which he expects to take 18-25 days.

Jack has set up a fund raising page for a goat charity, which rescues abandoned, abused and neglected goats, providing them with a good life and a home.

The prospective student bought his walking shoes a few days before he left London and is vegan, so has been eating anything he can find in shops and petrol stations.

His staples have been peanut butter, smoothies and bread.

Image may contain: Paper, Bag, Person, People, Human

Although he's unsure just what could compel him to undertake the journey, Jack's pretty sure it's a tribute to the Proclaimers.

"The exact reason I’m doing this is a little unclear even to me," he said. "A homage to the Proclaimers perhaps, a quest for adventure, an opportunity to raise money for charity?"

Jack continued: “All I know is that owing to the fact that I was chronically underprepared for the magnitude of the task, it’s been an experience I won’t forget in a hurry.”

Jack has been camping for most of his journey, but is also staying in youth hostels, with friends or couch surfing.

He did no training for the 1,000 mile walk, as he wanted the experience to be an “off the cuff ‘casually walk to Scotland’ type of affair.”

Jack added that the beginning of his journey was physically the hardest.

"The first 4-5 days were definitely the toughest, especially after the suicidal 49 mile first day to Cambridge, and I was getting all kinds of pains, ailments and light headedness," he said.

Despite the enormity of the challenge, Jack has been able to see lots of the UK.

He added: “I’ll be taking a different route back along the west side of the British Isles so I’ll have covered a lot of ground by the time I get back to St Albans to complete the full thousand.”

You can donate to Jack’s page through this link.