One small step: volunteers will mount the equivalent of three munros. Photo: Jon Savage/NTS

One small step: volunteers will mount the equivalent of three munros. Photo: Jon Savage/NTS

Six seasoned hillwalkers will climb the heights of three of Scotland’s best loved munros – in the nation’s capital city.

The six volunteers will tackle the ascent of three of Edinburgh’s steepest and busiest sets of steps to raise awareness of the National Trust for Scotland’s work in mountain conservation.

The hardy half dozen, who are all trust members, plan to ascend the equivalent of the heights of Ben Lomond, Ben Lawers and Ben MacDui during the stunt, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday.

Decked out in full walking gear, two volunteer mountaineers will climb the Playfair Steps 102 times to reach the height of Ben Lomond, Scotland’s most southerly munro and one of the most popular walking routes in Scotland.

Two more will take the challenge to ascend the Waverley Steps 152 times – rising a distance of 1,214m – the same as walking to the top of Ben Lawers and another pair will climb Castle Wynd 112 times – meaning they will have ascended the equivalent height of Ben MacDui, Scotland’s second highest peak.

The event is part of the NTS’s One Wee Step campaign which aims to tell people about its mountains and high altitude conservation projects.

The volunteers will climb all day long to provide a spectacle for tourists and passers-by and spread the word about the campaign, charting their ascents on Twitter as they go.

Campaign manager for the National Trust for Scotland Amy Gunn said: “The trust cares for many mountains, including 46 munros and thousands of hectares of iconic Scottish countryside for the benefit of the nation, but it’s not what we’re known for.

“With One Wee Step, we’re trying to change that, shouting about the work that we do to care for Scotland’s mountains and countryside.

“Access to Scotland’s wild lands is free, but their upkeep is not.”

One Wee Step is supported by broadcaster and mountaineer Cameron McNeish who appears on the campaign’s website saying: “Please, do what you can. It only takes One Wee Step. The great outdoors depends very much on your generosity.”

The NTS looks after 76,000ha (187,800 acres) of some of the wildest and most spectacular countryside in Scotland, encompassing 46 munro mountains, 424 km of mountain footpaths, seven national nature reserves, 45 sites of special scientific interest, the UK’s only natural and cultural World Heritage Site – St Kilda – more than 400 islands and islets, Scotland’s first voluntary marine reserve and the nest sites of over one million breeding seabirds.

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