1 in 4 people suffer from mental health problems. The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) do a great job not only providing support for those who need it (through online advice and working in local communities), but also educating those who may not understand mental health or know how to help others.

Various Scottish poems have mentioned the journey from John o'Groats to Kirkmaiden, which is generally considered to be the end-to-end journey for mainland Scotland (so not including the islands). Robert Burns wrote of the journey "Frae Maidenkirk tae Johnnie Groats" in his poem On the Late Captain Grose's Peregrinations Through Scotland.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote:
But maistly thee, the bluid o' Scots,
Frae Maidenkirk to John o' Grots,
The king o' drinks, as I conceive it,
Talisker, Isla, or Glenlivet!

The Maidenkirk they speak of is now Kirkmaiden. Although being in Scotland, it's actually further south than Carlisle. I intend to cycle the journey and I want to do it in 3 days, which will require me cycling further and faster than I've ever done before.

Technically there are quicker routes than the one I intend to take. My choice of route has been influenced by the views I'll see (which I'll most likely need for motivation) and timing a visit in Glasgow where I can stay with my brother for the night.

Day 1: Leaving John o'Groats and cycling 160 miles through Inverness, along Loch Ness, and staying the night in Fort Augustus.

Day 2: Cycling another 160 miles through Fort William, through the Loch Lomond National Park and on to Glasgow to stay the night.

Day 3: Cycling as far south as I can get until I'm pretty close to Northern Ireland! This last day will involving cycling about 120 miles.

That's approximately 440 miles, John o'Groats to Kirkmaiden, in 3 days. I can't take the motorways. I will be doing this journey entirely unsupported. What that means is I won't have someone in a support car carrying some of my items for me. This will be a solo challenge. I'm not ready to do this journey yet so I have to train hard for the next few months with very intense training in the 8 weeks leading up to the ride. In order to complete this challenge I will be cycling thousands of miles over the next few months in preparation. I will be leaving updates here to track how my training is going. I'm creating this page months in advance so I can raise as much money as possible. Hopefully the donations will provide motivation during my training and maybe my progress will convince some of you to donate!

PLEASE consider donating even a small amount. People who suffer with their mental health have it hard enough, but on top of that there is still a stigma that needs to be shattered and the SAMH is one of the charities that really makes a difference and even saves lives. If everyone who follows me on Twitter donated £1 then we'd destroy my current target. If people on Facebook did the same then we'd make such a huge difference. It would really mean a lot to me too. Please consider even a small donation. Thank you!