HUNDREDS of people are setting off to raise money for charity by taking on one of Scotland's toughest endurances challenges.
Almost 1,000 hikers will pit their wits against the West Highland Way this weekend by taking part in the Caledonian Challenge.
Walkers face either a hardy 12-hour course through the west Highlands covering 24 miles or an extended 54-mile slog that takes 24 hours, raising money for Foundation Scotland.
This year, a team from The Herald are taking part for the first time, joining around 800 other intrepid ramblers on the walk through some of Scotland's most iconic scenery.
The 54 starts at Gairlochy, on the Great Glen Way walk north of Fort William, and ends at Strathfillan Wigams near Tyndrum. The 24 starts in Glen Nevis, ending at the Glencoe Ski centre.
On both, participants have to climb out of Glen Nevis, head along the Lairigmor - the great pass - to an old military road and then down into Kinlochleven.
They are then faced with a climb out of "the electric village" and over to the Devil's Staircase path to take them down to Glencoe.
Entrepreneurs Angus MacDonald and Alex Blyth founded the Caledonian Challenge in 1996. Inspired by an event in Hong Kong, the pair wanted to run an endurance event in the Highlands.
The first challenge was to complete 30 Munros - mountains over 3,000ft - in four days. Only two completed the whole course and £16,000 was raised for charity.
The next year saw the Caledonian Challenge move to the West Highland Way. Since then more than 17,000 people have taken part in it, helping to raise over £13 million for Foundation Scotland.
Established in 1996, it is Scotland's busiest grantmaker, making more awards to good causes than any other independent funder.
*See Monday's Herald for an update on how the event went and Tuesday for an eight-page results special supplement.
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