I’ve seen the land and the landscape, and I see it completely different. I feel more connection with the UK now as a whole than I ever have in my entire life.

Hi, my name’s Christian Lewis and this is my dog, Jet, and we are walking the entire coastline of the United Kingdom.

I started in Swansea. The United Kingdom isn’t just one island, there’s loads of separate islands off the United Kingdom. In fact, 700 off the West Coast of Scotland. So, we’ve tackled those as well. So, we are on the northwest coast of Scotland, just about to turn the corner, having been on the move now for two years.So, I reckon about another year and a half before we finish.

Jet and I are actually on the Mull of Kintyre now, heading …

I think people would be very surprised to hear that the UK coast, this is including the islands, Northern Ireland, is surprisingly around 18,000 miles.

Before I started this, I suffered really badly with depression, I had anxiety, and this went on for a long, long time. I went for a surf one day and I remember coming out and just looking down the cliffs, and I honestly just thought to myself: walk home. So, I started walking along the coast and I’ve been going for two years now! I’ve got a lot to thank this place for.

There is no plan. It really is this simple. I keep the sea to my left-hand side, and I know that, eventually, that’s going to take me around to where I need to be.

Come on, Jet!

I go as far as my legs can take me each day. And I camp when I think it’s time to camp. And I repeat that process the next day.

I’ll show you where I slept last night … not complaining at all!

So, Jet, my dog, I rescued her on the way. She wasn’t in the best nick when I first had her – she was very thin, very skinny. But there was an immediate connection between Jet and I: I felt that kind of brokenness in her, that maybe I had felt before. We bonded immediately. Some of the stuff that she tackles on this coast, I wouldn’t ask another human to do. That we have such complete trust for each other, that if I go and do something or I go and climb something …… before I know it, she’s shooting past me because she knows if I’m doing it, she’ll do it.

Yeah, I’ve just arrived in Gretna, which means I’m in Scotland. Yeh, I’m stupidly happy!

The wonderful thing about the United Kingdom is that every single part of the United Kingdom that you go to, there is a change. And it’s not … it’s not subtle, it is there in your face.

Mother of this! Good afternoon, guys. It’s a really wet one today, it’s nice to have the Scottish weather back! Oh my goodness! Hailstones and they hurt like hell!

Some of my favourite moments on this walk have been when my tent’s been getting smashed from side to side … … and I’ve peaked out, and I’ve watched the seas and I’ve watched the waters, and I see how powerful it is.

I’m making my way up the west coast …

… it’s all downhill once you get to John o’Groats!

Good afternoon, folks. So, look at this. I’m on an island on my own and this family have come up and brought me Christmas dinner, by boat. I’m gonna go over and say hello to them, bear with me.

… I have gone from being one of the most isolated people you would ever meet, you know, shutting yourself in a bedroom for three weeks, not seeing anybody, scared to go to the shops … … to being the most confident, most outgoing, happiest person you’ll ever meet.

I do think this is a lifestyle now. So, this will never end for me, now. It’s a great lifestyle. I don’t have TVs, or anything, and I don’t need one, do I?!(End)

• A landscape (noun): a large area of land and everything you can see in it: hills, rivers, etc.
• A connection (noun): a feeling of closeness or relationship with someone or something.
• As a whole (idiom): as one complete thing, not as separate parts.
• Entire (adjective): complete or whole, with nothing missing.
• A coastline (noun): the edge of the land where it meets the sea.
• An island (noun): a piece of land that has water all around it.
• Separate (adjective): not connected or not together; different and individual.
• To tackle something (verb): to try to deal with something difficult.
• On the move (idiom): travelling or moving from place to place.
• To reckon (verb): to think or believe something, often without being completely sure.
• To head somewhere (verb): to move or go to a place or in a direction.
• A mile (noun): a unit for measuring distance, equal to about 1.6 kilometres.
• To suffer (verb): to experience something painful or unpleasant over a period of time.
• Depression (noun): a serious mental illness that makes a person feel very sad.
• Anxiety (noun): a strong and lasting feeling of worry and fear that is difficult to control.
• To go on (phrasal verb): to continue for a period of time.
• A cliff (noun): a high, steep area of rock, usually at the edge of the sea.
• Honestly (adverb): used to emphasise that you are telling the truth.
• Left-hand side (phrase): the side that is on your left when you are facing forward.
• Eventually (adverb): after a long time, or after several things have happened.
• As far as (phrase): to the furthest point or distance that is possible.
• To camp (verb): to sleep outside in a tent, usually in nature.
• A process (noun): a series of actions or steps that you do to achieve a result.
• To complain (verb): to say that you are unhappy or not satisfied about something.
• On the way (idiom): while travelling from one place to another.
• Nick (noun, informal): the condition or state that something or someone is in.
• Skinny (adjective): very thin, often in a way that does not look healthy.
• Immediate (adjective): happening or existing at once, without any delay.
• Brokenness (noun): the state of feeling emotionally hurt or damaged inside.
• To bond (verb): to form a close and strong emotional connection with someone.
• Trust (noun): the belief that someone is honest, reliable, and will not hurt you.
• Before you know it (idiom): very quickly or sooner than expected.
• To shoot (verb): to move somewhere very quickly.
• Stupidly (adverb, informal): used to emphasise a feeling, often more than you expected.
• Every single (phrase): used to emphasise that you mean each and every one.
• Subtle (adjective): small and not easy to notice or understand.
• In your face (idiom): very obvious and impossible to ignore.
• (Oh) my goodness! (exclamation): an expression of surprise, shock, or strong emotion.
• A hailstone (noun): a small, hard ball of ice that falls from the sky during a storm.
• To hurt like hell (phrase, informal): to cause a lot of pain.
• To smash (verb): to hit something very hard, causing damage or strong movement.
• To peak out (phrasal verb): to look carefully outside through a small opening, such as a tent.
• To make your way (phrase): to move or travel towards a place, often slowly or with effort.
• Folks (noun, informal): people in general, often the people you are speaking to.
• Isolated (adjective): feeling alone and separated from other people.
• To shut yourself in a place (phrasal verb): to go inside a place and avoid contact with others.
• Outgoing (adjective): friendly, confident, and enjoying being with other people.
• A lifestyle (noun): the way a person lives, including their habits, activities, and values.

In this text, there are various examples of the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous. We use these tenses to talk about an action/state that started in the past and is important now and connected to the present, OR to talk about experiences in life.

• We use the present perfect simple (have/ ‘ve OR has/ ‘s + past participle) to:

Focus on the result of an action which is important now:

‘Have you finished your paperwork yet?’ (= I want to do something with you now).

 Say ‘how many’:

‘I’ve been to the gym 3 times this week.’

Talk about an experience in life without a specific date (then use the past simple for more specific information):

‘Yes, he’s visited London before. (He came with me last year.)’

• We use the present perfect continuous (have/ ‘ve OR has/’s + been + verbING) to:

Focus on the action itself (especially if we can see evidence):

‘I’ve just been running. (I know my face is red!)’

Say ‘how long’:

‘She’s been working here for two years, she’s doing a great job!’

Describe an action which may continue in the present:

‘They’ve been working really hard on the project.’ (= they are still working really hard).

*Importantly, we don’t use a specific past time or date with the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous. If you want to say exactly when, use the past simple:

‘I’ve lived there 2 years ago.’ ‘I lived there 2 years ago.’ ‘She’s been going to school here last year.’ ‘She went …’

Examples in the text:

• I’ve seen the land and the landscape: ‘ve + seen: present perfect simple. The present perfect simple is used here to talk about an experience without a specific date.
• We’ve tackled those as well: ‘ve + tackled: present perfect simple. The present perfect simple is used here to talk about ‘how many’, the number of mountains they have climbed during the trip.
• I’ve been going for two years now: have + been + going: present perfect continuous. This example focuses on the length of the action, and suggests that it is still continuing.
• I’ve just arrived in Gretna: ‘ve + (just) + arrived: present perfect simple. This example focuses on the result of a recent action which is important now.
• * Some of my favourite moments on this walk have been when my tent’s been getting smashed from side to side: the present perfect simple (my favourite moments have been …) is used here to talk about experiences during the walk; and the present perfect continuous in a passive form (my tent’s been getting …) to show how the action still continues and has been happening for a long time.
• I’ve watched the seas and I’ve watched the waters: ‘ve + watched: present perfect simple. This example suggests ‘how many’, describing how the speaker has done this many times.
• I have gone from being one of the most isolated people: have + gone: present perfect simple. This example focuses on the result of an action which is important now, describing how he has changed.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/grammar/b1-b2/present-perfect-simple-continuous

https://www.englishpodcastscollected.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BBC-Travel-Show-Walking-the-entire-length-of-the-UK.pdf

https://www.englishpodcastscollected.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BBC-Travel-Show-Walking-the-entire-length-of-the-UK.docx