A Scotsman, a kilt and 3,200 miles: Craig Ferguson’s walk across America

Walking 3,200 miles across America is the kind of idea that sounds slightly ridiculous when you first say it out loud, but for Craig Ferguson, that was part of the appeal. Earlier this year, Craig set off on foot across the United States, taking on an extraordinary journey through deserts, mountains, highways and countless small towns, all while wearing his kilt, and raising awareness and more than £1 million for mental health.

What began as a mad adventure soon became something much bigger. Along the way, strangers offered food, drinks, shelter and encouragement, while thousands of people back home and around the world followed his progress, donated to the cause and shared their own stories. Now back in Scotland, and already admitting that he's “not very good at sitting still”, Craig reflects with us on the 3,200-mile adventure that changed his idea of what is possible.

I think it comes from my desire to travel and see the world. Very quickly after talking to me you’d realise there aren’t many corners of the world I don’t want to visit and my mad challenges are just an extension of that adventure and the need to do cool things. Over time, adventure became about more than just me. I realised I could use these challenges to raise money, start conversations, and hopefully make a difference to other people. The adventure was the start of it, but the people and the cause became the reason.

It was an idea that gradually became something I couldn't stop thinking about. Walking across America sounded completely ridiculous, and honestly, that was part of the attraction. I wanted to do something that would genuinely test me, but there had to be a bigger purpose behind it. Mental health was at the heart of the challenge. The first moment it all became real was the moment Scotland qualified, beating Denmark four-two, and that was the real "Oh, this is it." moment.

It's incredibly difficult to put into words. When I started, I had no idea it could grow to the point where more than £1 million would be raised, but the number itself isn't even the most important part for me. It represents thousands of people choosing to support mental health and countless conversations being started. Knowing that something I did with my own two feet could have that kind of impact makes every difficult day worthwhile.

There are so many, but waking up in the Rocky Mountains really sticks with me. The sun was rising over the mountains as I set off towards the 11,000 foot ascent. There were huge highways, people out skiing, people fishing in rivers, and big birds soaring overhead. And then there was just me, a Scotsman in a kilt, walking through the middle of it all. It felt completely surreal, and I think that sums up the whole adventure perfectly.

The people are probably the biggest thing I'll take away from the journey. I met people who stopped me on the road, offered me food, drinks, somewhere to stay, or simply a few words of encouragement. Then there were the people following from thousands of miles away. On difficult days, I'd get messages from people back home telling me to keep going. At times, it stopped feeling like my walk, it became everyone's walk.

Absolutely, there were days when my body was screaming at me, and the finish line felt impossibly far away. The trick was learning not to think about the entire journey. I couldn't think “I've still got hundreds of miles to go.”, I had to think about the next town, next road, or sometimes just the next mile. The fundraising also kept me going, knowing people believed in what I was doing gave me strength when I didn't have quite as much belief in myself.

It was overwhelming. You could be so far from home completely on your own, and then look at your phone and realise people in Scotland, across the UK, America, and beyond were following every step. What really meant something was that people didn't just watch the journey; they became part of it, sharing it, donating, talking about mental health, and telling their own stories. The finish line moment of seeing everyone come together will stick with me forever.

The sheer scale of America. You think you understand how big the country is, but you don't until you've tried to cross it on foot. 100 miles feels very different when you're walking it. I was also surprised by the kindness of people. So many strangers wanted to hear the story, learn about Scotland, and understand why I was doing it. I arrived planning to walk across America, and I left feeling like I'd experienced America through the people I met.

Definitely. There are places I saw through very tired eyes and legs that had already traveled hundreds of miles. I'd love to go back to some of those places without a backpack, like the deserts in Utah, without worrying about where the next day's miles are coming from and without thinking about my feet every five minutes. I'd probably appreciate the food a bit more too! 

The square sausage. In all seriousness though, you don't realise how much the little things mean until you're away from them for a long time. The familiarity, the humour, the landscape, and even the weather. After seeing such enormous American landscapes, coming home and seeing Scotland again was incredibly special. We don't need thousands of miles of wilderness here, sometimes you can simply head out for a walk and have an incredible landscape around you.

That's what I love about Scotland. You can just meander. It didn't take me long before I was up in Glencoe after coming home.

I don't think I'll ever be very good at sitting still. America has completely changed my idea of what is possible. Once you've walked 3200 miles across an entire continent, it's difficult to convince yourself that something is too ambitious. I've definitely got ideas for what's next, but the next challenge doesn't necessarily have to be bigger. It just needs to mean something. There will be another adventure, another story, and hopefully another opportunity to use whatever crazy idea I come up with to raise money and make a difference. 

Thank you so much to Craig for taking the time to chat to us about his incredible journey across America. If you'd like to see what's in store for Craig next, give him a follow on Instagram here.