IT�S taken him 21 years but bricklayer James King has finally conquered every Scottish summit over 2000ft � all 727 of them.

By ESTHER BINTLIFF

IT'S taken him 21 years but bricklayer James King has finally conquered every Scottish summit over 2000ft - all 727 of them.

James, 61, is celebrating after climbing 284 Munros, 219 Corbetts and 224 Grahams.

He began hillwalking to get fit in 1986, at the age of 40, and hasn't stopped since.

James, from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, has also scaled every hill over 3000ft in England, Wales and Ireland, as well as the 22,000ft Mera Peak in Nepal - the highest trekking peak in the Himalayas.

He said: "I was hanging out in pubs a lot and I just decided I needed to get myself fit because I was putting on a lot of weight.

"So I started going out with the local walking club in Blantyre. I was a real novice back then, I didn't even know what a Munro was. But I soon caught the bug."

Munro-bagging has been a popular sport since Sir Hugh Munro first identified every Scottish hill over 3000ft in 1891.

But Corbetts and Grahams are less well-known.

David Gibson, a senior officer at the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said: "Over 4000 people have climbed the Munros, but significantly fewer have climbed the Corbetts - only around 500.

"And the number who've bagged them all is even less."

James, a father of two, said his wife Elizabeth was "delighted" with his achievement, although she wasn't a keen walker.

He said: "My wife kept asking, What's the big deal with these hills?', so I took her up Ben Lomond.

Munro-baggers to Graham-gatherers

A MUNRO is a Scottish hill over 3000ft
  • They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, who produced the first conclusive list of them in 1891
  • Hillwalkers who aim to climb every Munro are known as Munro-baggers'
  • Famous Munros include Ben Nevis and Devil's Point in the Cairngorms
  • A Corbett is between 2500 and 3000ft. They are named after Bristol climber John Rooke Corbett who compiled the list in the 1920s
  • A Graham is between 2000 and 2500ft. Originally known as the Lower Corbetts, they were renamed in memory of Fiona Torbet (nee Graham) who published a list of the peaks in the 1990s

"Unfortunately, she couldn't walk for about three days afterwards, as her legs were so shaky."

James recommends other climbers should try Scotland's less popular hills.

He said: "Once you've achieved the Munros you're looking for a fresh challenge.

"I loved branching out into the lesser-known hills, because you see a lot more of Scotland.

"I was able to go to the islands and the Outer Hebrides."

James estimates he has spent around £500 on walking equipment, ranging from ice-axes to crampons, and much more on travel.

But he said the expense was worth it.

"I just love getting out into the hills. Scotland is absolutely beautiful," he said.

"Hillwalking takes you away from all your worries in life - you've only got yourself to look after."