WATCH: Around Britain adventurer Jordan Kealey, known as the Walking Pleb, had to bed down for 10 days in Inverness - after women’s underwear mix-up!
An intrepid trekker ended up on a 10-day stay in Inverness - after a delivery mix-up left him with a box of fancy women’s underwear.
After months on the road, Jordan Kealey (25) was excited about being sent a new tent, walking boots and waterproofs donated by an outdoor goods charity.
But after visiting the depot in Inverness, the charity hiker - who is in the midst of an incredible 11,000-mile anti-clockwise British coastline walk - realised he would have to bed down in the city for a little longer.
That was no great hardship for the young man from Nantwich in Cheshire who had already been won over by the warmth of Highland hospitality.
But the mix-up, involving some eye-catching lingerie, has set him back considerably timewise.
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Jordan Kealey, around UK adventurer
Finally, now Jordan - known on social media as the Walking Pleb - is ready for the next leg of his amazing journey, carrying his 45 kilo load, which will take him around the North Coast 500 route.
Jordan, who has already raised a four-figure sum for the RSPCA and mental health charity Men in Sheds by hiking thousands of miles with his dogs Shyla and Jackson, revealed: “I was originally supposed to stay here in Inverness for the one night and then be off again rebooted, suited and with a new tent for what is going to be the really wild part of my trip.
“But there was quite a mix-up after a charity called Kitsquad, which helps low income people enjoy the great outdoors, sent me the new gear.
“First of all, it was supposed to arrive on the Friday, but the box only arrived on the Monday.
“I collected it from the depot, but I got a bit of a surprise when I opened the box - it was full of women’s clothing.
“It wouldn’t have been so bad, but the woman must have been very small - and some of it was a little bit fruity!
“I get enough funny looks on my walk without wearing that kind of thing.
“I then had to wait for the correct parcel to be redirected and it seemed to take forever.
“But I can’t thank the people of Inverness enough because everyone here has been so friendly and welcoming.”
A self-confessed couch potato before setting off on the trek in December last year, Jordan had fallen into a real rut in life.
He found himself paying for a room in a shared flat by working a dead end job in a college kitchen he hated, with a bullying boss for good measure.
His mental health was suffering, but he knew that giving up the job without an alternative would render him homeless.
His childhood had been a tough experience with his dad uncaring and addicted to drugs, albeit with a loving mum Vanessa, a mental health nurse, and his grandad Chester who treated him like a son.
But Jordan is the first to admit that during his teenage years and early 20s, he got mixed up with some unsavoury company.
The idea of setting off on a big walk came to him during his lowest ebb and the impact of the great outdoors has been revelatory on his state of mind and mental well-being.
“There have been some really tough times and lows - it can be really tough on the road,” Jordan said.
“There are moments when it is battering rain and you are aching and sore, your dogs are cold, wet and hungry and the whole world seems to be against you,” he admitted.
“But then you will get a morning when you wake up in your tent by a cliff, looking out to sea and the sun comes up - and it is just wonderful.
“I had never accomplished anything much before this, so I plan to see it through to the very end.
“Then I would like to look at maybe setting up a charity based on my own experiences in the great outdoors for younger people suffering from mental health issues, maybe boys like me who have grown up without a father.
“My family doubted me before I set off because I’m the first to admit I have never stuck to anything in life, but I’m sticking to this. I’m in this for the full journey.
“There are so many people following me now and so many people have been so good to me, it has changed the way I think about society.
“There is far more good out there than bad. People have been wonderful and none more so than in the Highlands and Inverness.
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Around UK adventurer Jordan Kealey
“I’m not just doing it for myself anymore. I’m doing it for everyone who has been so kind and supportive.
“Even on a bad day, when you want to pack it in, you know you can’t let people down.”
Jordan started in hometown Nantwich on December 3 and hiked 250 miles straight down through the Cotswolds to Bournemouth. It was then he decided to make it an around the British coast hike, and he will eventually finish up back in Bournemouth.
It has been the little acts of kindness along the way - and some big ones - that have restored his faith in humanity.
“I’ve had so many people to do many things, however small. Some people will stop me as they drive down the road, offering me a lift,” he said.
“They don’t realise that I want to stay true to the journey, but it is nice and always gives me a boost.
“I’ve had so many people give me meals, let me stay in their spare rooms and some people have bought me hotel rooms.
“One guy donated £700 to get new equipment and when I’ve had setbacks and disasters, someone has always tended to rally to help me through social media or just in the street.
“Just as I crossed the border into Scotland, someone actually bought me a pod in a caravan site at Coldingham Bay.
“The receptionist there then arranged for me to stay in a caravan at a campsite about 15 miles up the road.
“I arrived from my day’s walking to find a big flat screen TV, absolute luxury and four bedrooms for myself and the dog!
“I grew up thinking the world was full of people looking out for themselves, not caring about anyone else.
“This has changed my perspective completely.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to Jordan’s incredible charity effort can do so HERE
