A woman has just completed a mammoth 680-mile run from the Scottish Borders to the northern tip of mainland Scotland.
Elspeth Luke tackled 68 mountains on her way to finishing the gruelling challenge at Duncansby Head in Caithness.
The 33-year-old completed the challenge in aid of Funding Neuro, a charity that helps those with Parkinson’s disease.
The inspiration for Miss Luke’s 34-day challenge came from her father, Warren, 67, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago.
She has so far raised £7,500 for the charity, which was set up by Glasgow-based Bryn Williams after he was diagnosed with the condition in 2007.
The long-distance runner followed what is known as Scotland’s watershed – the drainage divide which runs down the middle of the nation, separating the river systems flowing east to the North Sea from those which run to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
After setting off from Peel Fell in the middle of the Scottish Borders, Miss Luke navigated her way through a maze of forests, bogs and dirt tracks en route to Duncansby Head.
Miss Luke said: “I am really excited to finish and I got a little emotional because there were so many ups and downs during the challenge. I wondered for months and months how it would go but it went well.
“The fourth week was really tough. From Loch Quoich, I did 24 Munros in the space of six days and that was really tough mentally.
“I have thought about whether I would have done this if I had known it would have been such a bad summer. There were a few mornings I just wanted to cry because the cloud was so low. The cloud made navigation exhausting. But there were only
three mountain days when we spent the whole days in cloud. In general, we had some really special views from the mountain tops.
“My father came up to see me on Saturday after I finished and he was a very proud man.”
Funding Neuro funds research focused on solving problems that hinder progress towards cures and effective treatment for all conditions affected by the brain or spinal column, such as brain tumours, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A unique treatment is now being pioneered by neurosurgeon Professor Steven Gill where drugs are injected directly into the brain.
The money raised by Miss Luke will go towards an urgent clinical trial for 18 children with diffused intrinsic pontine glioma brain tumours. A crowdfunding appeal has been launched by the charity in order to meet the £900,000 required.
When she is not taking part in ultra-endurance events, Miss Luke is a freelance violinist who performs regularly in the orchestra of the Scottish Opera and also teaches the instrument.
Sharon Kane, chief executive of Funding Neuro, said: “Endeavours like this are fantastic for the charity, gifting it with funds which can be used to finance vital work taking place to treat conditions of the brain.”
Anyone wishing to donate should visit
justgiving.com/watershed-scotland
Arnold Clark donated a support van to the campaign, which carried additional kit and supplies between checkpoints.