The family of a hillwalker who died in Glen Coe have raised thousands of pounds for the mountain rescue team which spent more than eight months searching for him.
Robin Garton went missing in the mountainous area in September 2015.
The 69-year-old’s body was found the following June in the Stob Coire nam Beith area.
Now his family has raised £5,000 for Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team – which dedicated hundreds of man hours to the search.
The funds were matched by another £5,000 from The Grocer’s Charity – a foundation which Mr Garton had been involved in.
Mr Garton, from Wiltshire, had been heading north to Kinlochewe for a holiday with family and friends when he stopped in Glen Coe.
His family returned to Wester Ross for the anniversary of him going missing – where his nephew Alex Garton organised a sponsored walk to Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair in his memory.
Mr Garton’s son Will Garton said praised the rescue team for their efforts in finding his father.
He said: “They are wonderful people.
“They are people that who do not know you from Adam are prepared to go out and give up their lives to search every nook and cranny for your loved ones.
“They are very special people and it is reassuring to know that they offer such a committed and professional service, even thought they are all volunteers, when you are sitting on the end of a phone waiting for news.”
Andy Nelson, leader of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, thanked the family for their donation – describing them as having become “friends of the team”.
He said: “The family were very heavily involved in our search for Robin and we developed a relationship with them at what was obviously a very difficult time for them.
“They are lovely people and they have now had some insight into the life and work of a mountain rescue team.
“They have raised a significant sum of money which is very generous of them and we are very grateful.”
The money will go towards general running of the team – as well as an ongoing effort to replace a customised van which is used as an operations vehicle by Glencoe MRT.
