Six-year-old twins bag 50th Munro

Two schoolgirls from Argyll have bagged their 50th Munro.

Nuala and Cliona McCheyne completed the 3,195ft (974m) trek up Ben Lomond, on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, on Saturday, with parents Neil and Diane.

The twins, aged six, were just four-years-old when they completed their first Munro on 16 September 2006.

Munro is the name given to Scotland's highest 284 mountains. To qualify, peaks must be more than 3,000ft (914.4m) in height.

Diane McCheyne said her daughters' interest in Munro-bagging began they were taken different walks when they were very young.

"They had seen lots of pictures of us on the walls with the dog and decided they wanted to try and do a hill," she said.

"We thought we would take them to The Cobbler (also Ben Arthur, 2946ft, 884m) and the boulder field there to see how they got on.

"When they got to the boulder field and had their picnic, Nuala decided that she wanted to go higher and we were on top after two hours and 40 minutes.

"We then decided that if they can do The Cobbler, they can do a Munro, so, that's why we started."

Mrs McCheyne said the family eventually decided to use the activity to raise money for charity.

"One of the twins' young friends from nursery developed leukaemia and has been undergoing a debilitating programme of chemotherapy at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow", she said.

"We are trying to raise a good sum to assist with the work carried out there."

So far, the twins have raised more than £1,000 and they remain as keen as ever to keep on walking.

Cliona said one of best things about Scottish hill walking was catching frogs.

And Nuala said: "I just love climbing up the boulders."

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