An Aviemore firefighter is preparing to trek through the Cairngorms in his full kit to raise money for charity.
Jamie Stewart, a retained firefighter in Aviemore, will walk from Braemar to Aviemore through the Lairig Ghru Pass.
His challenge will raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in recognition of the support they are giving his grandmother Janet Smith through her cancer battle.
The 36-year-old has previously completed the same route with colleagues from Hydrasun Ltd, where he works as a CNC operator, but this time he will be wearing his firefighting gear – weighing 9kg.
Mr Stewart will be joined by fellow firefighters Stuart Boon, James Monaghan, Martin Amos and Kyle McRobert for the fundraiser.
Mr Stewart set himself the challenge of raising £500 for Macmillan for his grandmother and for friends whose young children have been affected by cancer.
He said: “My granny has just finished chemotherapy, so she must now go for radiotherapy. She has Macmillan nurses going in to see her and when I told her I was doing this walk, she was overwhelmed that I would choose that charity.
“I know how thankful my granny is for the Macmillan nurses that go round to see her, giving her a chance to ask questions that her family don’t know the answer to.”
Trekking with firefighting gear is ‘going to be exhausting’
Mr Stewart, who has been a member of the fire service since 2006, and his friends will set off on their 27-mile trek on August 27.
They will cross rocky terrain and pass by the Pools of Dee in the Lairig Ghru valley as they make their way from Linn of Dee to Aviemore.
Looking ahead to the challenge, he believes the heat is going to be the biggest worry on the day.
“It’s going to be exhausting with all the heavy gear on, but I reckon the heat is going to be the biggest challenge,” he said.
To support the effort, visit Mr Stewart’s JustGiving page here.
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