Finding Hildasay: How one man walked the UK's coastline and found hope and happiness

Product Information

It was also important to me to talk about the mental health side of things and show that you can come out of a dark hole, there is hope for everybody that things will get better,” he says. Christian, now 42, left the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment in 2005, after winning custody of his daughter Caitlin. Caitlin is also proud of me. I wanted to show her that if you put your mind to anything you can do it. It’s been an incredible experience.”

Christian had mounting bills, debt and the tenancy on his rented flat was coming to an end, and then he hit upon his big idea. Finding Hildasay is Christian Lewis's brutal but beautiful true story of survival, walking the coast of Britain - his dog Jet in tow - and finding a different way to live. With a foreword from longtime supporter Ben Fogle. With a foreword from long-time supporter Ben Fogle, Finding Hildasayis a brutal and beautiful true story of depression, survival and the meaning of home. A man who lived in Shetland for nine months while walking the length of the UK is to release a book about his journey.

Summary

And it was while riding the waves that he had a flash of inspiration to attempt to walk the entire coastline of the UK, a challenge that so far has taken him nearly six years. Publishing director Sara Cywinski acquired world all language rights directly from the author. Lydia Ramah, Pan non-fiction editor, will edit the book. The book will be published on February 2023. But he refused to give up, deciding to fundraise for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, as they had offered him support when he was unwell.

The book, written on a notepad while travelling, has his own mental health journey as the driving force behind the story of his adventure. Finding Hildasay: How one man walked the UK’s coastline and found hope and happiness by Christian LewisI was given this book as a birthday present - whilst very pleased to recieve it, I'm always a little wary of books centred on self discovery and personal growth through challenges. But I have simply raced through the book and enjoyed it - possibly because of the central theme of walking and wild camping along with great descriptions of the practical problems and considerations associated with doing it day after day for years. I had no idea what I was getting into joining Chris on his journey, especially as working for SSAFA I thought I was fully aware of Chris's endeavours. Told in the words of 'everyman' Chris this is not just the story of one man finding Hildasay, where Hildasay is not just an uninhabited island in the Shetlands (a group of Islands in Scotland global reader :)); it is a story of finding hope and happiness; a story of a father finding himself and wanting his daughter to be proud of him; a story of the love of Jet the amazing dog and what bonding with Jet did for Chris; a story of a veteran returning to Northern Ireland and getting to see that beautiful country through a new lens; and for me most of all the story of our great country where you can get what you put in, how Chris's character, demeanour, personality, even smile got people all over Scotland and Northern Ireland helping and supporting him on his journey from freely giving resources to the loan of the sole dwelling on Hildasay! Having Jet with me brought a new element to the walk, as I had ­somebody to look after again. I couldn’t ask for a better dog, she is so loyal.”

Christian Lewis is sitting in the kitchen of a family home that is not his own, having only met the owners once before, near St Peter Port, Guernsey. He needed a reliable internet connection to do this interview and the family, who have followed his journey on social media, offered him their place. This, says Lewis over Zoom, is “not the first time things like this have happened”. That’s putting it mildly. Christian was camping in Whaligoe, on the North East tip of Scotland, in November 2020 when he met his future fiancee, Kate Barron, 36. Now I was finally out of the force of the wind, my body began to warm – the part where the real pain sets in. I’d felt it plenty of times before on this journey, but this time it was different. As I began to regain feeling in my fingers and toes, it burned so strongly that I just sat in tears of pain.’ On 1 August 2017, former paratrooper Christian Lewis set off from Swansea to walk the entire coastline of the UK. Christian's search for self-discovery, and to raise awareness and funds for the veterans charity SSAFA, would become a journey beyond his or anyone's expectations. From raising halfa million pounds to adopting a dog called Jet to finding love with fellow adventurer, Kate, he had no idea that when he started this once-in-a-life-time experience he would be crossing the finish line (some five-and-a-half years later) with a fiancee, a baby and renewed sense of purpose. His story is one of survival and hope, but it's also proof that, with the right mindset, anything is possible. Finding Hildasay is Christian's first book about his journey, which has already received worldwide attention, a BAFTA-nominated documentary and more.Join Christian Lewis as he walks the entire coastline of the UK – his dog Jet in tow – and rebuilds his life, step by step. With a foreword from longtime supporter Ben Fogle, Finding HIldasay is his inspiring true story of reconnecting with nature and finding hope along the way. They no longer could stay in tents, so Christian used some of the money from his book deal to buy a vehicle which he converted into a camper van. Magnus is strapped to his parents in a sling while they walk. I had mixed emotions as the ferry started to pull off. After my last time here, I’d vowed never to return again — but this time I’d seen it in a completely different light. I’d loved my time there and would leave with wonderful memories.