Angus boy completes mammoth walk in memory of his mum to raise cash for RNLI

An Angus lad is putting his feet up after he managed to walk 55 miles to raise more than £2,500 for the RNLI.

Nine-year-old Charlie Watts, from Auchterhouse, undertook the mammoth trek from Broughty Ferry to the Queensferry Crossing in memory of his mum Eileen who died of cancer in February 2013.

He completed the first 26 miles in June, raising £1,720, and he walked the remaining distance last Wednesday.

Although he was initially scheduled to walk from Glenfarg to the bridge on Tuesday, on what would have been his mum Eileen’s 54th birthday, severe weather forced his dad Adam to reschedule to the following day.

Adam said: “What a truly magnificent effort by a determined, gritty, selfless nine-year-old.

“Charlie’s little legs carried him a distance of just over 28 miles on the first day and 55 miles in total, from Broughty Ferry to Queensferry.

“He started in Dundee and trekked through Fife, Perth and Kinross, back into Fife and finished up in Lothian.”

Adam said that both walks had presented different challenges for Charlie.

He said: “These were mostly weather-related but also a number of climbs made for a tough time. Everything thrown at Charlie was met with a smile and even when tired, a smile was never far from his face.

“The support was fantastic and it helped Charlie immeasurably when he had to dig deep and knew there were a gang of people willing him on.

“The first 20 miles were done in rain and no amount of training can prepare your feet for that.

“When we left Inverkeithing and approached the bridge, Charlie knew, not just from my words, that he was very nearly there and this gave him a huge lift.

Angus lad to embark on 55 mile-walk in memory of his mum

“The welcome he received from the Queensferry RNLI crew was simply brilliant and echoed the Broughty Ferry RNLI crew who saw him on his way.

“These two acts meant the world to him. Charlie was at school the following day, albeit an hour and a half later. He really is a proper trooper.”

A spokesman for Broughty Ferry lifeboat crew said: “All of us are super proud of Charlie and Adam and what they do in Eileen’s memory.”