Partially-sighted Scot to trek 3,200 miles across UK to help others facing vision loss

Daily Record

12-05-2025

Kris Baillie is journeying 3,200 miles to raise funds for charity Seescape, whihc has supported him since his diagnosis in 2015.
A partially-sighted Scots man will travel the length of Britain to raise funds for a local Fife sight loss charity, which has helped him since his diagnosis. Kris Baillie has been supported by Seescape for 10 years, after receiving his diagnosis of partial sight loss in 2015.
To repay their generosity, he is travelling from the Shetland Islands to Penzance in Cornwall in a fundraiser that will go towards helping others experiencing vision loss.
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The 3,200-mile journey will start today, Monday, May 12, where he will set off from his home in Fife, criss-crossing the country via public transport in an effort to show the challenges partially-sighted and disabled people face in getting from one place to another.
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The 45-year-old will hop on ferries between Aberdeen and Shetland, as well as the UK's longest train ride from Aberdeen to Penzance.
He will spend less than half an hour in Cornwall, before boarding a coach back up north to Edinburgh, via Birmingham and Leeds.
Kris will end his journey back in Kirkcaldy at just before midnight on Sunday, May 18, almost a week on from starting the epic quest.
Kris opened up about the motivation behind his huge travel challenge.
He said: 'I am very grateful to Seescape and everything they have done for me since I was diagnosed with sight loss. I wanted to help give back and celebrate their milestone anniversary.
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'I wanted to take part in the 160 Challenge posed by Seescape, and my journey takes me 20 times 160 miles across the entire length of Britain.
'Public transport can sometimes be a challenge for someone with sight loss and I wanted to do this challenge to show others that it is still possible to travel and live fully, with the right support, which is what Seescape has given me.
'I feel like I'm completing The Proclaimers song, 500 miles, but I am doing 2,500 more.'
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Seescape is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year and has launched a 160 Challenge as part of the celebrations, and to raise extra funds.
The charity supports more than 3,500 people across Fife every year who are blind or have sight loss, helping them to live independent lives through rehabilitation, advice and help with assistive technology.
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Lesley Carcary, Seescape's chief executive, spoke about how grateful they are to Kris for his fundraising efforts, saying: 'We're incredibly proud of Kris and deeply touched by his determination and generosity.
'As we celebrate 160 years of service in Fife, this journey reminds us of the resilience of the people we support – and we are grateful for anyone who supports us, either through fundraising or volunteering.
'We can't wait to follow Kris's journey and support him along the way.'
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