A north MSP who lost a child to cot death is lending his support to runners tackling the London Marathon to raise money to fund research into the syndrome.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart and his wife have worked to raise awareness of the condition since the death of eight-month-old Liam in 1991.
Now, they are backing a group of runners from Inverness Harriers who are heading to the capital this weekend to pound the streets in aid of the Scottish Cot Death Trust.
The 10-strong team has already raised £2,500.
Mr Stewart joined them at a training session in Inverness on Saturday and wished them a successful marathon for the Scottish Cot Death Trust.
“It’s a good cause; the money helps go towards research in Scotland which is vitally important,” he said.
“Cot death is a traumatic event for any parent and the research is all about how it can be prevented.
“We experienced the horrible trauma of losing a child and, Linda, my wife, has been with other parents who had lost children across the Highlands and islands.
“Thankfully there has been a reduction in cot death, which is very welcome news.”
Mr Stewart said he knows from his own experience that the support of family and friends after a bereavement was very important – but so was the contribution of the Scottish Cot Death Trust.
“They gave us monitors for our daughter Kirsty, who is now 21,” he said.
“The use of monitors is vitally important to monitor breathing and provide additional support to parents.
“We continue to look at opportunities to do anything we can to support this cause and raise awareness and help raise money.”
Alison Wilson, 42, of Holm Dell, Inverness, is running to support her friend and team-mate, Jackie Mair, who lost a son to cot death. Ms Wilson said: “It’s a huge privilege for me to be able to raise awareness and raise money towards this cause.”