Shona Marshall via SuppliedA terrier from Moray has become the first dog to bag the ‘full house’ by scaling all of Scotland’s summits and the highest peaks in England, Ireland and Wales.
Betty, a Kerry Blue Terrier, has scaled 282 Munros, 226 Munro Tops, 222 Corbetts, 231 Grahams, and 141 Donalds alongside owner Shona Marshall.
The nine-year-old has also reached the summits of 22 Furths, which are mountains of Munro height in England, Wales and Ireland.
The duo bagged all these hills, which is known as the “full house” challenge, in just under four years – with the average amount of time to complete the challenge normally 20 years.
Shona explained to STV News how their love of Munro bagging began during the pandemic lockdown.
Shona Marshall via Supplied“We enjoyed long walks during lockdown”, she said. “Then we decided to accompany a neighbour who had only 30 Munros left to complete his round – in the end, we did over half of our Munro round together as well as completing Am Basteir on Skye together.
“Then we walked the Donalds in the south of Scotland, maybe not the most dramatic of hills, but lovely walks nonetheless.
“I then decided to combine the Grahams and Corbetts as many are close to each other and can be combined into a longer but sometimes challenging walk. They took us all over Scotland and to many of the islands, which was a great experience.”
Fewer than 100 people have accomplished the feat of the “full house,” but Shona and Betty decided to try to complete the challenge before the canine’s tenth birthday.
Averaging around four hills per week, the duo completed their final mountain summit – the 2,818ft tall Morrone, near Braemar, in the Highlands, on Saturday, where Betty was able to enjoy her well-earned favourite treat – hard-boiled eggs.
“I’m delighted we achieved it while she’s still fit and healthy and able to enjoy the walks we do”, Shona added.
“That was the reason for trying to them quite quickly. You never know how long your dogs are going to be with you.
“But she’s incredibly healthy. She’s all muscle! We’re very alike personality-wise, both quite determined, and we don’t give up easily.
“She’s always on a lead on the hills on a waist belt, and it’s like an umbilical cord between us.
“On one occasion, I went to Ireland to complete a walk that dogs were not allowed on. It felt very strange without her there.
“She has a good nose and is very good at smelling out paths and grooves. Corbets don’t have human footpaths and rely more on deer and sheep tracks, so she is very good at finding these.”
Throughout her journey, Ms Marshall has been aiming to raise money for the Kerry Blue Rescue, a charity which helps to rehome Kerry Blue Terriers like Betty.
They have raised over £3000, and a link to their fundraiser can be found here.
Shona and Betty haven’t stopped there – they are now halfway through a second round of Munro bagging, although Shona admits they are taking things “slower” on this occasion.
Shona Marshall via Supplied“We’re not almost halfway through a second round of Munros, but this time, we are taking things a bit slower and are enjoying the hills.
“We are also revisiting the ones that we went through in poor weather conditions.
“Just generally, we are enjoying the days we have together. She is slowing down and needing more rest.
“At home, she will just enjoy normal walks off the lead. I think her favourite part of any hill walk is getting her hard-boiled eggs at the top.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
