A senior police officer who battled breast cancer has completed a gruelling skiiing marathon through the Arctic.
Chief Superintendent Sharon Milton strapped on her skiis and layer upon layer of cosy clothes to take on the two-day endurance trek through Abisko National Park in northern Sweden.
She took on the task in aid of Walk the Walk, a UK-wide organisation that makes grants for breast cancer research and support groups.
Ch Supt Milton has so far raised more than £15,000 for the charity through her Arctic adventure and various other fundraisers since she was first treated for the disease in 2016.
Over the course of her journey, the 47-year-old was joined by a number of other courageous women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and together they battled through blizzards and -33C temperatures to complete the 26-mile route.
She said: “The whole adventure took six days, but part of that was getting there and part of it was familiarisation, so there were two days of skiing a marathon through the Arctic on cross-country skiis.
“There were 20 women from all across Britain who took part, all raising cash for Walk the Walk.
“Part of the challenge was of course the physical element of cross-country skiing for up to eight hours a day, and of course the other aspect is fighting through the Arctic conditions.
“The coldest we experienced was -33C without windchill.
“But we were well prepared – and I think that living in the north-east of Scotland for the past 20 years really helped me to get ready for this.
“On the days I was skiing, I had three layers of trousers, four layers of tops underneath a jacket, and around three sets of gloves on at a time – plus hand warmers.
“There were of lot of amazing experiences on the trip, including seeing the northern lights – I live in Buchan, so I have had glimpses of them over the years, but nothing as spectacular as the colourful show we were exposed to in Sweden.
“But the most satisfying moment was that warm shower once I was finished.”
The day after she returned home, Ch Supt Milton said she received positive news from her oncologist during a check-up.
To find out more about the charity Ch Supt Milton raised funds for, visit www.walkthewalk.org