Scotland fan completes 3000-mile charity trek to World Cup

A fundraising football fan has been met with cheers in Boston after completing a kilted trek across the US to Scotland's World Cup opening match.

Craig Ferguson, from Paisley in Renfrewshire, began his 3,000-mile charity walk in Los Angeles in February to raise £1m for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH).

The 22-year-old, who also walked to the Euros in 2024, was greeted by crowds of supporters and members of the Tartan Army at Boston Common on Friday.

Ferguson had expected to miss his fundraising target, but was handed a £400,000 donation from the Scottish government on the final day of his four-month walk.

Ferguson said: "The amount of days where I thought it would never be possible.

"The days of waking up at five in the morning, leaving the RV in tears thinking why have I set it that high? Who do I think I am?"

He said hitting the target for his arrival in Boston was "a dream come true".

"To be handed a miracle at the end, to hit it the day before finishing, it's the stuff that dreams are made of," he added.

Ferguson said he wanted to raise awareness, as he did at the Euros in 2024, after seeing friends and family suffer the impact of poor mental health.

First Minister John Swinney praised Ferguson for his charity effort.

He said: "I have been hugely impressed by Craig's inspirational campaign to raise funds for SAMH, one of Scotland's leading mental health charities.

"The work such charities do across the country is both life-changing and live-saving, and this funding will help SAMH to continue that important work."

Billy Watson, the charity's chief executive, said Craig's endeavour was "absolutely extraordinary".

He added: "He is a football fan, a member of the Tartan Army, who decided he could help and has quite literally come down the road in the most spectacular fashion."