Veterans to embark on historic wellbeing tour across Scotland’s most remote communities 

Veteran-led SUNRAY TWOSIX tour will take mental health and wellbeing conversations directly to veterans in rural and island communities 

A team of Royal Navy and Royal Marine veterans will make an extraordinary wellbeing journey across some of Scotland’s most remote communities this June, taking conversations around veteran mental health, connection, and support directly to those who may otherwise feel isolated or overlooked.

SUNRAY TWOSIX is a veteran-led wellbeing and awareness tour travelling through the Outer Hebrides, the West Coast of Scotland, and onward to Edinburgh arriving at the Scotland’s Veterans Wellbeing Alliance Big Day Out for Armed Forces Day. 

The team is comprised of ex-service men and women who are active in the veteran community, and one intrepid Scottie dog from Bravehound.  

At the heart of the journey is Phillip, a restored 1936 Morris Eight ex-military vehicle, which will serve not only as transport but as a powerful symbol of service, resilience, and shared history.

Over the course of the journey, the SUNRAY TWOSIX team will travel through communities including Barra, South Uist, North Uist, Harris, Lewis, Skye, and Fort William, creating informal spaces for conversation, reflection, and peer-support. 

The initiative has been designed around a simple but important principle: meeting veterans where they are – geographically and emotionally. 

For many veterans living in remote or island communities, accessing formal support services can be difficult due to geography, limited local provision, or the stigma that still surrounds conversations about mental health within military culture. 

By physically bringing a veteran-led team into these communities, SUNRAY TWOSIX aims to reduce barriers, foster trusted peer connection, and remind veterans they are not alone.

Jason Fearnley, Co-Founder of Warhead Project UK and Royal Navy veteran, said:

It is an incredible honour to take part in SUNRAY TWOSIX alongside my fellow Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commando veterans, supported by members of the Scottish Veterans Wellbeing Alliance. The Western Isles have a very strong sense of community and connection, which makes them the perfect place for this journey. This journey is about encouraging people to talk openly, support one another and remind veterans and others facing difficulties that they are not alone.

The project is supported by Scotland’s Veterans Wellbeing Alliance, whose collaborative network brings together organisations committed to improving veteran wellbeing across Scotland, with several members involved in the project. 

“Scotland’s Veterans Wellbeing Alliance is all about connecting veterans and their families with the communities that they have chosen to settle in and to link up all the wonderful services that are there to support those who need it.  Philip is a great talking point and, on his travels, we hope veterans and local people will welcome Philip.  We are delighted we are catching his journey on film so we can share that more widely encouraging further connections and conversations” – Dr Linda Irvine Fitzpatrick, Strategic Lead, Scotland’s Veterans Wellbeing Alliance 

Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, Director at The Centre of Military Research, Education, Practice and Engagement at Edinburgh Napier University, which leads The Alliance, said:

The Centre is delighted to be supporting this unique veteran led programme where veterans can come together and share their stories with one another and community members.   We are also looking forward to welcoming Philip on his return from the Isles when he arrives at our Armed Forces Day Celebration on 20 June at our historic Craiglockhart Campus

A documentary film crew will accompany the journey, capturing authentic stories of resilience, camaraderie, and recovery, helping bring the message of veteran wellbeing to a wider audience.

The documentary will highlight both the challenges and strengths within the veteran community while sharing an uplifting story of connection, hope, and healing.

The tour begins at Loch Lomond on 1 June 2026, and concludes in Edinburgh at Napier University’s Craiglockhart Campus 20 June 2026, joining the SVWA Big Day Out, a fun family event for veterans, serving personnel, and their families.