A Scottish hillwalker has scaled all 282 of Scotland's Munros in honour of his late father, who died from motor neurone disease (MND) just 15 peaks short of completing the challenge himself. Paul Choat, 40, from Longniddry, took up the quest after his father David's diagnosis made it impossible for him to finish, and has since raised more than £117,000 for charity.
David Choat had climbed 267 of Scotland's 282 mountains over 3,000ft before his illness forced him to stop. Paul recalled being taken up two Munros as a child but said he never seriously considered attempting the full challenge until his father's diagnosis changed everything.
I think I massively underestimated what was involved, but it went from being a sort of fundraising challenge in honour of Dad to this amazing journey around Scotland, full of lots of memories that I won't forget, particularly when we finished.
Paul explained that hillwalking began as a shared pastime for his parents before his father grew determined to complete the full Munro list.
I think they always thought that they'd have plenty of time once he'd retired to kind of get the last ones done, and then it was not long after retirement that he was diagnosed with MND, so couldn't finish the last 15 that he had left.
With his mother and siblings, Paul climbed the remaining 15 Munros on his father's behalf, completing them just two months before David died in 2021. Rather than stop there, the property maintenance company director resolved to tackle every one of the 282 peaks himself, fundraising for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation in his father's memory. The full challenge took him just under five years to complete.
What made the challenge so difficult?
Choat admitted there were moments when he questioned whether to continue, particularly during spells of severe weather.
There were a few days where the weather turned out to be worse than the forecast, and you get to a point where you feel a bit miserable about being soaked through and blown this way and that, and definitely questioning whether it's worth carrying on.
I think having Dad in my mind was usually what kind of kept me going when things got pretty tough.
According to a report by a Scottish news outlet, some of his toughest outings included a 13-hour trek through the remote Fisherfield area during a heatwave, as well as a fundraising push to climb Scotland's four most northerly Munros in under 24 hours. Separate fundraising records show that challenge, dubbed "Section 16," targeted Ben Hope, Ben Klibreck, Ben More Assynt and Conival, according to his JustGiving fundraising page.
How did the challenge change him personally?
What began as a tribute to his father gradually became something Choat pursued for his own sake as well.
I think overcoming things that I wouldn't have done otherwise, putting myself in situations that I wasn't comfortable with, but pushing myself, and the benefits from that – it became more apparent the more I did that I was getting a lot more out of it than I kind of ever thought I would.
How did the challenge come to an end?
Choat deliberately saved Schiehallion, near Aberfeldy, for his final ascent so that several generations of his family could take part together. He was joined on the summit by family and friends, including his six-year-old daughter Skye, who completed her first Munro alongside him. Per the same report, the final climb took place in heavy rain, with Skye present throughout. Choat's own fundraising account, Munros 4 MND, described completing the final peak "yesterday on Schiehallion" with family and friends by his side, according to his social media page.
Skye said it was "good" to see her father finish his challenge, adding that she had enjoyed "everything" about her first Munro, including the wind and rain. Looking back on the achievement, Choat said he felt a sense of relief mixed with pride.
I doubted myself a few times and I almost felt a bit of a weight of wanting to do it for Dad – so there was a wee bit of pressure that I put on myself.
I think once we reached the final summit, there was a little bit of relief, but also kind of was just really pleased for Dad and for myself.
I kind of felt like I was able to finish what Dad started.
What is the history behind the Munro challenge?
The pursuit known as Munro bagging takes its name from Sir Hugh Munro, a member of a Scottish landowning family who helped found the Scottish Mountaineering Club. The club tasked him with cataloguing every hill in the country standing at 3,000ft (914m) or higher. Someone who completes the full list is traditionally referred to as a Munroist, or "Compleator," according to the Scottish Mountaineering Club's official FAQ. Mountaineering Scotland notes that the official tally of 282 peaks can occasionally shift if hills are resurveyed or reclassified, according to the organisation's guidance.
The family's original campaign to finish David's final 15 Munros raised more than £60,000 for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation before Paul decided to continue and complete the full list himself, according to his fundraising page. Combined with his later efforts, the family's total fundraising for MND research now exceeds £117,000.
Choat's story echoes other recent endurance challenges undertaken in memory of loved ones or for charitable causes. Earlier this year, a cancer survivor completed Scotland's 141 Donald hills after previously finishing the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams, while another challenger climbed Pen y Fan 742 times in a single year in tribute to his late wife.
Key Facts
- Paul Choat, 40, from Longniddry, completed all 282 Scottish Munros in tribute to his father David, who died from MND in 2021 after reaching 267 peaks.
- The family finished David's final 15 Munros together two months before his death; Paul then continued alone to complete the full list over nearly five years.
- Fundraising for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation has now surpassed £117,000, with the original "Final 15" campaign alone raising over £60,000.
- Choat saved Schiehallion for his last climb so multiple generations of his family, including his six-year-old daughter Skye, could take part.
- Notable challenges along the way included a 13-hour Fisherfield trek in a heatwave and climbing Scotland's four most northerly Munros within 24 hours.
