A group of colleagues from a Perthshire care home have pioneered their own version of the notoriously challenging West Highland Way to raise funds for a new sensory garden space.

Claire Mackay, Shona Hutchcox and Eilidh Thomson from Balhousie Pitlochry care home walked 81 miles of the West Highland Way locally, tracking the miles on fitness apps. Then, on May 12th, they completed the final 15 miles of the mammoth walk, the stretch between Kinlochleven and Fort William, together.

The intrepid trio decided to organise the walk to raise the funds to transform one of the home’s open garden spaces into a sensory garden for residents, relatives and staff to enjoy. Since completing the walk, Claire, Shona and Eilidh have smashed their fundraising target of £1500 with a current total of £1700 raised and the amount is still growing.

The walkers have been overwhelmed by the donations, many of which have come from residents’ families, both former and current, and from the local community.

Claire, who is the home manager at Balhousie Pitlochry said:

“While our legs were sore and we saw all seasons of weather during the walk, it was worth every step to raise such a fantastic amount for our new sensory garden. The money raised is going to enable us to create a really wonderful outdoor space for our residents to enjoy. I would like to thank everyone who donated and supported us.”