Community / Fundraising fishermen to embark on 40 mile walk in aid of RNLI
TWO FISHERMEN are set to embark on a marathon march across Shetland to raise funds for the seafaring charity which could come to their aid one day.
Campbell Hunter and Ross Jamieson will walk 40 miles from Scalloway down to and around Sandwick, before heading back up to Hamnavoe in Burra before returning to Scalloway to complete their challenge.
The pair are raising money for the local RNLI, and have already almost doubled their initial £750 goal in less than a week.
Hunter, 23, said he and Jamieson have embarked on one “really big walk” a year for since 2023 “just for the craic”.
But he said Jamieson had suggested this year they should combine it with a charity fundraiser.
“We hope we never have to see them, but we thought we might by blyde of the lifeboat sometime,” Hunter told Shetland News.
“We thought it would be fitting. They’re out the whole time, and sometimes it’s
The pair did a 15 mile walk in their first year, before doubling that to 30 miles in 2024.
A 40 mile walk will be the longest they have embarked upon together, with the two fundraisers likely to set off on Tuesday 22 July when Jamieson returns from sea.
Hunter, who fishes on the Tranquility LK63 and was previously on the Guiding Light, said they were likely to have to set off at 6am on the morning of their quest.
“I reckon it will take us about 12-14 hours,” he said.
“This one will be a lot bigger than the last one, and last year we were really bad with blisters.
“With about 13 miles to go my legs were really seizing up, so we’ll be going at snail’s pace by the end.”
Twenty-five year old Jamieson is on the Courageous LK470, and was on the Angelina before that – which Hunter said had recently been tended to by local RNLI crews during an incident.
He said that was an example of why they had decided to support the RNLI with their walk later this month.
With almost £1,500 raised so far – having set a £750 target just last Sunday – Hunter said they were “delighted” with the “generosity of folk” who had supported them.
“Hopefully we’ll keep getting more and more,” he said.
The money raised from the fundraiser will stay in the isles, supporting the Shetland lifeboat crews.
People can donate to the fundraiser here.
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