‘The NHS saved me,’ says teen who’s played the bagpipes on 282 Munros
As Joel Davey stood atop Ben Lomond, it marked completion of a record-breaking challenge to scale all 282 Munros in a year – and play the bagpipes at the peak of every one.
Updated: 19:17 BST, 14 June 2025
As Joel Davey stood atop Ben Lomond and took in the view over the loch in the driving rain and wind, it marked completion of a record-breaking challenge to scale all 282 Munros in a year and play the bagpipes at the peak of every one. The amazing accomplishment was the 18-year-old’s way to give back to the British Heart Structure (BHF), by raising money for the charity that saved his life after he had open heart surgical treatment as a baby for an uncommon disorder. The operation enabled him to take pleasure in a rough-and-tumble childhood, consisting of playing rugby, cross-country running and, obviously, climbing up hills. By the age of 11 he had actually currently scaled Monte Cinto, the highest mountain in Corsica, where he played Highland Cathedral on his bagpipes. After taking stock of just how much the surgery had given him in life, he decided to repeat the feat on each Munro– Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet– in one year and play a couple of notes of the very same stirring tune on every summit. Mr Davey, from Fife, stated: ‘I love the tune and it brings me to tears, but I have actually now heard it 12 times a day after lugging an out-of-tune bagpipe up 282 Munros. ‘For a Scottish instrument it truly does not like the rain.’ In 2015 Mr Davey, battled 90mph winds on the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye, where he was roped to the summit of the Unattainable Pinnacle so he could blast Highland Cathedral into the windstorm. Mr Davey has actually played the bagpipes at the peak of each of Scotland’s 282 Munros in a year The British Heart Foundation saved the child’s life when he was a child, he said His impressive endeavour is even more outstanding as he broke his back soon before sitting his Highers. Regardless of being in pain he got impressive outcomes that made a location at Aberdeen University to study Ancient History and Archaeology. He took on the climbs up during a space year before starting university. His father Dan, who climbed up the last Munro with Mr Davey, said: ‘It’s an extraordinary accomplishment– he’s a young man with a sense of ethical responsibility who wanted to give back for his life being conserved. I take pride in him.’ Mr Davey stated he was ‘rather unfortunate to have actually completed as it was so freeing to be up in the mountains’. David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: ‘We could not be more glad or prouder of this extraordinary young man.’ NHS Share or comment on this article: ‘The NHS conserved me,’ states teenager who’s played the bagpipes on 282 Munros e-mail Include comment Comments 0 Share what you think No remarks have actually up until now been submitted. Why not be the very first to send us your thoughts, or dispute this issue reside on our message boards. Include your comment Enter your comment By publishing your remark you agree to our rules and regulations. Send Remark Clear Close Do you wish to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your remark will be published to MailOnline as typical. No Yes Close Do you wish to immediately publish your MailOnline remarks to your Facebook Timeline? Your remark will be published to MailOnline as typical We will automatically post your remark and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the exact same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will connect your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to verify this for your very first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be published to Facebook. Your information from Facebook will be used to provide you with customized material, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. NHS Share or comment on this short article: ‘The NHS conserved me,’ says teenager who’s played the bagpipes on 282 Munros e-mail Include remark Comments 0 Share what you think No remarks have so far been sent. Add your remark Enter your remark By publishing your remark you concur to our house rules. Submit Comment Clear Close Do you desire to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
