A daredevil centenarian is set to raise more than £10,000 for the NHS by tackling Scotland’s longest zipwire.
Margaret McConchie, who turned 101 on Friday, will take on the extreme challenge at Laggan Outdoor near Gatehouse.
She had initially set a target of £1,919 to match the year of her birth. However she has already raised more than five times that amount.
Margaret said: “It’s tremendous, it’s unbelievable. I came up with it in a completely daft moment – and I’ve got to do it now!”
Laggan Outdoor is run by Margaret’s grandson Duncan, who named the nearby GG’s Yard venue in her honour.
She has tackled the zipwire – which is nearly one kilometre long – twice before and was inspired to try it again by Captain Tom Moore who has now been promoted to Colonel after raising more than £30 million for the NHS with his own fundraising efforts.
Daughter Eleanor said: “She has done it twice before and got a real kick out of it.
“When she saw Colonel Tom on television it inspired her to do something for the NHS.
“It’s tremendous, it really is amazing, people have been so generous and it is still going.
“More than 400 people have donated and lots of them are people she doesn’t know.”
On her JustGiving page, Margaret said she had found the efforts of the NHS and other key workers “inspiring, resilient and compassionate”.
Although Margaret has more than exceeded her target, the McConchies plan to wait until a calm, sunny day after the lockdown restrictions have been eased before letting her complete the challenge which will see her “fly like a red arrow” wearing her red lipstick.
Anyone who would like to donate to Margaret’s fundraising efforts for NHS Charities Together can do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ggs-big-zip.
