A lifeboat volunteer has completed a gruelling challenge in aid of the RNLI – conquering nine Munros.
Daniel Elliot challenged himself to run and cycle 26.7 miles over nine Munros, covering an ascent of 11,479ft, to raise cash for the lifeline service.
Mr Elliot, who has been a volunteer with RNLI Kyle for three years, completed his Nine Peaks of Kintail in just over 10 hours.
He set off from Morvich at 7am on Saturday, running 25 miles across the Munros.
He then cycled back to the Kyle lifeboat station – more than 15 miles away.
Along the way, Mr Elliot also paid tribute to a long-term Kyle RNLI stalwart, Pat Mucklow. His route took in one of her favourite walks, so he laid a bouquet of flowers and an RNLI pin at the top.
Mr Elliot was greeted by a large crowd back at the station as he crossed the finish line at 5pm.
Funds will be used for new kit
Although not his first challenge of this type, the Nine Peaks of Kintail was his biggest and he is thrilled to have raised £4,750 for the station.
He said: “I wanted to raise much needed funds for kit and training for the new crew members. Some of the ascents were difficult, and at times I was scrambling on all fours, however my dad came and joined me on Munro number four, bringing me much needed water and a morale boost.
“The weather was good, however later on the heat began to be a bit of an issue. I completed the run in nine hours and 15 minutes, and then jumped on my bike. There was a brisk headwind which was tough, however when I reached Kyle, the lifeboat crew and families, local pipe band and fire brigade were all on hand to welcome me home.”
He thanked his family, the Kyle RNLI team, public and local businesses for their support at every step of the way.
Mr Elliot has been a lifeboat crew member for three years, and decided to embark on the challenge to help raise funds for his lifeboat station which experienced a drop in donations by half during the pandemic.
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