Shropshire teenager on track to complete epic trek from Land's End to John O'Groats

Tobias Branston, 19, set off from Land's End in May, with the aim of reaching John O' Groats at the end of July.

But he has already reached the Scottish border and, though he won't rush, says he could finish by the first or second week of next month.

"I have set myself a challenge to hit John O'Groats within the next 30 days," he said.

"There's no urgency to it.

"I don't have a hard deadline so I can have a slower day if I need to because I'm not against the clock.

"But things have been going well and the whole experience has been amazing.

"I have been so lucky in so many different ways.

"I have had amazing weather, no real injuries and no real disasters.

"I had one incident where I nearly fell in a river, coming through Gloucester. I misplaced my feet on a footpath that was overgrown with nettles, so I couldn't see the floor. I was definitely en-route to the water!

"But, other than that, it has been pretty smooth sailing so far and I can't complain."

Tobias said reaching the Midlands was a particularly nice moment.

"It was special coming through Staffordshire and Shropshire when I started to see glimpses of signs close to home," he reflects.

"Getting back to Shropshire was something I considered to be a first real checkpoint, followed by the Scottish border and then the end."

He added: "Walking through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and the Pennines, it's just been amazing.

"It's varied so much – from walking through lovely woodland, along canals, up hills and through dales. It really does bring it home to you how special the UK is."

And Tobias said he has been able to keep mentally focused throughout.

"I can listen to music, or a podcast or just take in what's going on around me," he said.

"It hasn't got serious or intense. I can call up a mate from a top of a hill and share what an amazing view I am looking at if I want to."

Tobias is raising funds for Severn Hospice and Heartburn Cancer UK after two close friends lost fathers to cancer.

The adventure will see the former St Andrews Primary School pupil, unaccompanied, take on a route of more than 1,000 miles on foot, walking up to 25 miles per day. Intrepid Tobias, who plans to join the Army after university, is sleeping out in a bivvy bag rather than staying in bed and breakfasts, hostels or hotels in order to maximise the amount he raises.

You can sponsor Tobias at giving.com/crowdfunding/tobiaswalks