Malcolm sets sights on Cape Wrath Trail

HE MIGHT be in his 70s and his hip may have seen better days, but great-grandfather Malcolm MacGregor has never let his age stop him from walking – for miles and miles.

The 76-year-old from Dal-keith plans to take on the 200-mile Cape Wrath Trail, which has been described as the hardest walk in Britain, in aid of the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

Mr MacGregor will begin his journey at Corran Ferry on 9 May, and hopes to finish at Cape Wrath – the north-western tip of the Scottish mainland – no more than 20 days later.

He said: "That's why I'm doing the Cape Wrath Trail, because it's a difficult walk to do. As long as I get to the end, that's all I'm worried about!

"I know I'm 76 years old, but everybody thinks I'm very fit. I'm blessed with good health, except for my left hip which gets sore because of wear and tear. I take eight painkillers a day for it."

Mr MacGregor climbed the UK's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, in 2005 at the age of 71, and has also climbed most of the Munros in the Cairngorms.

He has already done four walks in aid of CHAS since May 2005, raising a total of 3,000. This time he hopes to raise around 900, having raised more than 300 so far.

The father-of-eight added: "Everybody seems to do walks for mostly cancer charities, and nobody seems to do any walks for CHAS."

Mr MacGregor, a retired Edinburgh taxi driver, attempted to complete the Cape Wrath Trail last year but only managed around 90 miles due to pain in his hip and poor weather conditions. This time he hopes to finish the walk, averaging 12-14 miles each day.

The great-grandfather of six, who started doing lengthy walks after he retired at the age of 70, said: "I couldn't do all these things when I was a taxi driver. I have done about nine long walks so far in the last four or five years since I retired. I just love walking, I can't stay in the house. I love the scenery and the people you meet. I just love going out, it's better than sitting stagnating.

"I do all the walks on my own – I'm daft. I carry a big rucksack with a stove, food, clothes and a tent in it. I like to do things the hard way!

"My pal says I'm a rucksack on legs because you can't see me for the rucksack. It must weigh at least 30lbs."

Mr MacGregor added: "It has taken younger chaps than me eight hours to walk the last eight miles of the walk because there is no path and it's just moors up and down. It is very hard."

He plans to sleep in a tent for most of the trip, as well as the occasional bed and breakfast, and aims to do one sponsored walk a year for CHAS.

"I'm looking forward to the walk; I'm champing at the bit to get there," he added. "As long as I have got the ability to walk, I'm very happy."

• To sponsor Mr MacGregor, e-mail macgregorml@talk talk.net