A Scottish mental health campaigner has broken down in tears after surpassing his goal of raising £1 million for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH). Craig Ferguson, a devoted Scotland supporter, reached the milestone as he arrived in Boston on his 3,000-mile Tartan Trek across the United States.
Ferguson set off from Santa Monica, California, in February, walking and running the equivalent of more than 120 marathons over just over 100 days. He will officially complete the challenge on Saturday, June 13, when he arrives at Gillette Stadium ahead of Scotland's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Haiti.
In a video shared online, Ferguson, from Paisley, is seen enjoying a glass of wine with his mother before checking his phone and realising his fundraising campaign had reached the £1 million mark. Overwhelmed, he puts his head in his hands and breaks down in tears.
Throughout his journey, Ferguson traversed 12 states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, enduring extreme weather, punishing terrain, and physical exhaustion. He was supported by close friend Matthew Allan in a support vehicle providing food, water, rest, and encouragement.
This week, First Minister John Swinney announced a £400,000 donation from the Scottish Government, helping Ferguson reach his goal. High-profile figures such as Kenny Dalglish, Jamie Murray, and Lewis Capaldi publicly backed the campaign, and actor John Barrowman met him early in the trek.
Ferguson thanked donors, with the fundraiser reaching £1,030,705 as of June 12. He dedicated the achievement to Russell Campbell, saying: 'While he's sadly no longer with us to see the impact he has had, every single step, every single mile walked was in your name.' In 2024, Ferguson raised £77,000 for SAMH by walking from Glasgow to Munich ahead of Scotland's Euro 2024 opener.
