Family climb Ben Nevis to raise funds for Strathcarron Hospice as gran says it was 'best and worst day' of her life

Margaret McCafferty, 64, said it was the best as she managed to complete the challenge she had hoped to do for several years and helped raise £1500 for Strathcarron Hospice in the process, but admits that the journey had some very difficult moments.

“By the end it felt as thought the soles of my feet were on fire,” she admitted. “But we managed it which was the main thing.”

Walking alongside her were daughter Kelly Ann Callaghan, 45, and grandson Brodie Callaghan, 11, with all the money going to the Fankerton hospice.

Margaret has volunteered and supported the hospice since the death of her father in 2005 and, although he didn’t have long at Strathcarron, she is aware of how much it does to support those in the community, both patients and their families.

The family were delighted that they smashed their initial £500 fundraising target and this week were at Strathcarron Hospice to hand over a cheque for £1500.

Margaret, a retired former manager of the Co-op store in Denny, said that there were many people climbing Ben Nevis on June 6 and they all provided encouragement to each other.

Although they were walking for the hospice they were part of a group raising money for the Celtic Foundation alongside Siobhan Wheelan of Denny.

Margaret added: “People were so nice an encouraging. There was one man we met who was a doctor and when we told him what we were fundraising for he gave us a donation."

Brodie and Siobhan managed to complete the ascent in three hours and five minutes, then came down in three hours, while Kelly Ann reached the summit in three hours 30 minutes and did the descent in three hours 37 minutes. Margaret was delighted with her times of three hours 44 minutes for the ascent and three hours 47 minutes for the descent.

"It was obvious that Brodie was not waiting on his nana and just strode on ahead,” she recalled.

"We definitely did some training but nothing prepares you for the walk. There’s part which are very steep and other bits that are rocky. While the weather was lovely at the bottom, at the top there was snow and not just a scattering.

"But we managed it and that gave us all a real sense of achievement.”