Tomintoul fundraisers tackle tough terrain

SIX hardy walkers from Tomintoul took on the Lairig Ghru mountain pass together to boost a mental health charity.

The team – Dionne Sim, Anne Phillips, Louise Stuart, Zoe Hamilton, Janice Levack and Andrew Sim – navigated the 19-mile Cairngorms route from Linn O' Dee, Braemar, finishing at Rothiemurchus 10 and a half hours later on June 9.

Walking guide Bill Dallas kept the group motivated and on track.

Dionne said: "It was a great challenge for all of us to take on together and a day we'll never forget.

"We are delighted to have raised £2100 for Penumbra and a big thank-you to everyone who has supported us and donated.

"None of us had done a long walk on this terrain before, so it was particularly challenging for us in the rain. We found the boulder section at the Pools of Dee quite tough and the last few miles into Rothiemurchus seemed to take forever. The scenery is spectacular and has inspired us to climb the Munros looking down into the Lairig Ghru in the future."

Penumbra's Sarah Campbell, head of business development, said: "We are delighted to be receiving such a generous donation.

"We are extremely grateful for their fundraising efforts and pleased that they have chosen to show their appreciation of Penumbra in this way.

"Their contribution is greatly valued and will go towards Penumbra’s ongoing support and recovery work being provided across the community."

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