Walker Ben Macpherson will be carrying a white flag
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An Edinburgh student has set off on a 500-mile trek to London in a bid to promote world peace.
Ben Macpherson, 20, started his journey at the gates of Edinburgh Castle on Saturday and aims to arrive in London on 21 September.
The York University politics student has planned his arrival to coincide with the United Nations International Day of Peace.
The UN has declared it as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
World peace
The UN unanimously adopted the idea of a worldwide day of peace back in 2001 after a proposal put forward by the charity Peace One Day.
Mr Macpherson said: "I am not doing this to raise money. Nor is this walk a march, a protest, a rally or a demonstration.
"I am walking to London to raise awareness of the annual International Day of Peace.
Ben Macpherson set off from Edinburgh Castle
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"I am doing this walk because I believe more people would like to know about this day, and I want to tell them about it.
"I believe peace for one day is an idea whose time has come, and is such an important idea in these days of growing cynicism, where the notion of peace is worryingly coming to be perceived as so unrealistic and ludicrous."
Mr Macpherson will carry a white flag to symbolise his message for peace on his journey down south.
He was joined on his first steps by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Bishop Brian Smith of the Episcopal Church of Edinburgh and Dr Alison Elliot, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
The walk will take Mr Macpherson through various major UK cities en route to London.
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