Daughter of missing climber Jim Robertson raises more than £8k

THE daughter of a mountaineer missing in The Cairngorms has raised more than £8,000 for the rescue volunteers who are working to try and bring her dad home.

Lynn Robertson with her dad Jim.

Jim Robertson, of Cathcart, Glasgow, an experienced climber, has been missing since March 2 when he is likely to have left Bob Scott’s Bothy near Ballater.

His daughter Lynn has paid full some tribute to the work of the Braemar Mountain Rescue Team (BMRT) as they continue the search for her “beloved” father who had headed to the hills just two days before his 61st birthday.

Ms Robertson, also of Glasgow, said the team had shown great “compassion and commitment” to both the search for Mr Robertson, a former English teacher, and his family.

Jim Robertson was a keen and experienced mountaineer.

She said: “There are no words to express our feelings of gratitude towards all of those who have been involved in the search thus far.

“Regardless of the outcome, we are truly overwhelmed by their kindness, compassion and commitment.

“We are now hoping that Braemar Mountain Rescue Team can recover our dad’s body and bring him home to us. Once we have him home, we can say our final goodbyes and return our dearest dad to the hills, where he belongs.”

A public appeal has raised more than £8,000 for BMRT, which is run entirely by volunteers.

More than 80 volunteers from teams including Braemar Mountain Rescue, along with specialist search officers, search and rescue dogs and a coastguard helicopter, have been involved in the search for Jim.

Ms Robertson said an “immense amount of work has been done” by BMRT to establish the circumstances around her dad’s disappearance.

She said: “It is likely that he headed to the second highest mountain in the UK, Ben Macdui (in the Cairngorms). It is likely that he has had a tragic accident and has succumbed to the elements somewhere on this mountain.”

Jim Robertson was a keen and experienced mountaineer.

Ms Robertson, who also has a brother, said the fundraising had been started to share “our deepest heartfelt thanks” with the volunteers of BMRT.

“Sadly our dad will not be the last person to need the help of BMRT. We appreciate that our fundraising goal is high however the running cost of BMRT is tens of thousands - every year, year after year and all of their work is done on a voluntary basis.”

“We only wish our dad could see just how much has been done for him. He would be so amazed and deeply moved.”

The Braemar Mountain Rescue Team has described the efforts of Ms Robertson as “amazing”.

To donate, please go to www.justgiving.com/JimRobertson60/.

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