Two brothers are cycling the NC500 route to honour their cousin and raise funds for a mental health charity.
Alexander Mill, a farmer from Thurso, took his own life in April 2021.
Now, his cousins David and Paul Budden are carrying out a cycling challenge to raise awareness of mental health.
They began their journey at John O’ Groats on Saturday and are scheduled to arrive in Thurso on Friday after cycling more than 500 miles in total.
“We’re doing it for a heartbreaking reason, so it’s a mix of feelings,” said David, 40.
“It’s hard work but nothing compared to the pain of losing our cousin, Alex.”
‘Talking openly is the best thing’
Over the past six days, they have cycled to locations including Dornoch, Inverness and Ullapool while raising money through their online fundraiser.
The brothers decided to raise funds for Support in Mind Scotland as they are the “most pertinent out there” offering mental health support.
The brothers said Mr Mill, who had two children with his wife, was in his mid-40s when he died.
He was passionate about farming, dedicating much of his time to his farm near Westfield, and playing rugby.
“It was very unexpected, it came completely out of the blue. We couldn’t see any signs,” David continued.
“We struggled to find something that would be perfect to honour him.”
David, a chartered architect, said talking has been an important part of their family’s healing process over the past year.
“It’s been cathartic,” he said. “The only silver lining is that it’s given a platform to everyone I know. I’m quite open and candid about it so people start to come out of their shells. It’s amazing the stories I’ve heard.
“That’s a positive – having a platform to talk and cut out the rubbish, instead of brushing over everything or telling people to ‘shake it off’ or ‘man up’. Talking openly is the best thing.
“It’s a small gleam of light from all of this. Something to make better in the world and to honour our cousin in some way.”
An emotional journey
David and Paul, 39, both live and work in North Kent but frequently travel up to Scotland to visit family, with the majority living in the Thurso area.
Their friends and family have been a great support over the past few months as they have worked to improve their distances and reach optimum health.
“A lot of time and effort has gone into it,” David added.
Now they are on the road, they have described the journey as “emotional” but both feel fortunate to be able to do it.
“It’s joyous to be doing it with my brother. It was his idea and spending a week with him is the best thing,” said David.
“The first day was horrendous, we were overloaded with gear for 96 miles and the wind was in our faces. It was wet and miserable, but after that it has not been as difficult.
“It’s a joy and a pleasure now.”
Conversation