Inverbervie trio, Elaine & Craig Mitchell and Brian Morrison have successfully completed the 96-mile West Highland Way walk in just three days! And in the process, they raised £1,500 for two fantastic local charities.
They braved some horrendous weather, walking through torrential rain for the first two days of the trek, in difficult underfoot conditions. Setting off at 1am, they walked continuously for over 23 hours on the first day, finishing at just after midnight the following evening.
Two days later with some blistered feet, wet clothes and tired bodies, the trio arrived at the finish and were thrilled to have conquered the challenge in such a short space of time.
Elaine said, “We survived... people said we were mad to walk it in 3 days and they were right! We totally underestimated the challenge we set ourselves, especially has we ended up walking for 23 hours on the first day after Brian sustained an injury. But we did it and lived to tell the tale! We still had fun, managed to complete it (without any fall outs!) and raised a fantastic amount for our two chosen charities, Childline Aberdeen & CFINE.”
Since opening in 2004 Childline Aberdeen has conducted almost 150,000 counselling sessions, on the phone and online. This has been achieved through the dedication of volunteers across the North East, giving up their time on a weekly basis to listen and support vulnerable young people through a range of issues, from mental health and online bullying to abuse and neglect.
Community Food Initiaitives North-east (CFINE) improves health and well-being and the environment, tackles poverty and builds resilience through a range of support and services for and with disadvantaged, vulnerable, low income individuals, families and communities
Community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland, Matt Connelly, said “What an incredible achievement! Huge thanks to Elaine, Craig and Brian for their support of our 15th Anniversary Appeal. The £750 they have raised will enable us to provide an additional 187 calls to vulnerable children and young people. For many of the young people that contact Childline, speaking to us can be life-changing, so support like this is immeasurable”.
Brian Morrison, Elaine Mitchell & Craig Mitchell