A 17-year-old boy will hike 140 miles across Scotland and bag 40 Munros in a powerful pursuit to raise awareness for mental health.
Ronan Ratcliffe, from Leith, Edinburgh, is planning to carry out the cross-country challenge in just eight days.
The jaunt will see the teenager trek through moorland from Fortwilliam in the Highlands to Glendoll Forest, North of Dundee.
Leaving on Monday, May 30, Ronan will follow a remote path that crosses only two public roads the whole time.
During the challenge, the Trinity Academy pupil is coining in cash for Samaritans - a mental health charity that is close to his heart.
Ronan watched his own father, Nigel, suffer from depression and anxiety since he was a child.
While he says more needs to be done to tackle the stigma around men's mental health, he is keen to help others who are in a similar situation.
Ronan told the Record: "His battles really took a toll on him and our family, it took away the father-son bond from us.
"I have never stayed with him and I don't get to see him an awful lot, it has always been the case.
"It has affected not only him but me and my whole family, too.
"When I was younger and in primary school, I didn't really understand fully what was going on with dad.
"It wasn't until high school when I started to realise. It was difficult to come to terms with because so much of dad's life had already been taken away by his struggles - he'd missed out on so much of my childhood."
The teenager hopes that his hike will encourage people to take priority for their mental health and has urged Scots to be proactive when you feel like you need help.
He added: "It's been really difficult for me and I really want to spread awareness about mental health and urge people to prioritise it - especially men.
"With guys, we are often told to man up and so we bottle things and keep problems to ourselves.
"Although that stigma is being broken, we still struggle to speak up about what is going on in our heads and so we try to deal with things ourselves.
"I really want people who are reading this to speak about your problems instead of keeping them to yourself."
"I can do this challenge with a lot of mental fortune to push me on, but not everybody has that. It will be good for me physically, but it will also keep my mind in check, too."
During his pursuit, the teenager will wild camp for the first half of the journey and sleep in Bothies - an unlocked shelter to be used free of charge in mountainous areas - for the second half.
Ronan has dedicated his trek in memory of his father's girlfriend, Nikki, who sadly died by suicide in March 2021.
The teenager described her death as "devastating" for his family.
"This was devastating for me to hear, but especially for my Dad", he said.
"With such terrible news, and then the second lockdown, he faced a massive setback and has been struggling over the past year.
"So, I hope I can spread around a message and help people who are going through similar situations by reading this.
"For anyone who is thinking about taking their own life, or for anyone who feels stuck at a mental blockage, go and speak to a friend, a family member, a stranger on the street – anybody. It’s as simple as that.
"The same goes for anyone who isn’t in need of help, ask the people you love how they are, make sure they’re genuinely okay and keep them close."
Donate to Ronan's fundraiser by visiting here.
You can seek help by contacting Samaritans 24/7 free on 116 123 or by visiting Samaritans.org.
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