Former soldier 'overwhelmed' by Manx support on British coastal trek

A former soldier who is walking around the coast of the British Isles has described the support he has been given by the Manx public as "mind-blowing".

Daniel McNeil, 27, is visiting the island as part of a challenge that has seen him cover 8,400 miles (13518km) of coastline already.

He said he has been "inundated" with offers of accommodation and food.

The ex-serviceman has raised almost £25,000 for an armed forces charity that helped him cope with depression.

Mr McNeil, originally from Dumfries in Scotland, served in the Army for five years before an auto-immune disease affected his spine.

He turned to drugs and gambling after leaving the armed forces, but after a "cry for help" looking for work on social media he received support from the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA).

The charity bought him a hot meal, put £20 of credit into his gas and electricity meters and stopped him from being evicted.

The charity challenge has raised almost £25,000 for an armed forces charity

Mr McNeil, who has spent time walking around the coast of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and including more than 65 British islands, said he decided to take on the two-and-a-half-year challenge to "give back" to the charity.

The ex-soldier said he had had to create a map of the Isle of Man to "keep track" of the offers he has had of food and places to stay.

"I've never had that kind of support anywhere in the UK, it's been absolutely mind-blowing, overwhelming," he said.

While on the island, he will follow the 100-mile (160km) Raad ny Foillan coastal pathway, initially heading south from Douglas.

The 27-year-old is due to complete his 10,000 mile (16,000km) challenge on 18 November and hopes to have met his target of £30,000 when he crosses the finish line in Sandyhills, Dalbeattie, where he began his trek in March 2021.

The funds raised for SSAFA would be used to support veterans who were struggling by helping them to turn their lives around "like I did", Mr McNeil added.

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