Great-gran, 90, climbs mountain on her staircase to raise £400,000 for NHS after being inspired by Colonel Tom

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A GREAT-gran aged 90 is climbing a mountain on her staircase for the NHS.

Inspired by 100-year-old Captain Tom Moore’s 100 laps of his garden, Margaret Payne has already raised more than £400,000.

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She is almost halfway through 282 trips up and down the 17 stairs at her home in the Scottish Highland village of Ardvar.

She worked out this matches the nearby 731-metre (2,398ft) peak of Suilven, which she first climbed at 15.

Margaret said she had never been a hillwalker, having lived with knee problems since she was 12.

The great-gran has had two knee replacements and has to walk with a stick.

However she said she would walk miles to reach the best spots for her true passion of fishing.

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She said she has been “overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of everyone who has donated”.

The stairs climb is her way of thanking the "absolutely wonderful" NHS staff, and carers at Highland Hospice, who took care of her husband, Jim, before his death at Christmas.

Her fundraising page is at virginmoneygiving.com/MargaretPayneArdvar-SuilvenChallenge

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