A RANGERS TV presenter reached the final summit of a Munro challenge dedicated to his dad who died of cancer in August.

Andrew Dickson, 32, was joined by around 30 friends and family members, including Rangers manager Ally McCoist on the climb to the top of Ben Lomond.

Andrew, from Cathcart, set out to scale 64 Scottish peaks more than 3000ft high in honour of his dad who turned 64 on January 7, this year.

Jim was forced to give up his domestic appliance business when he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in July, last year.

After his tumour was ­removed before Christmas he was believed to be cancer free.

But his condition deteriorated and he died 10 weeks ago.

Andrew has urged anyone with symptoms of cancer to visit their GP.

He said: "It took some time for my dad to visit the doctor initially, even though he was clearly unwell and getting progressively worse.

"Something which is typical of many men around his age in the West of Scotland is they'll choose to ignore such problems and put them to the back of their minds.

"There's often a hope things will simply get better again because of a fear of what further investigation might reveal.

"We'll never know if getting help earlier would have made a difference in the long run but it might have given my dad a better chance of recovery."

Andrew's challenge began with a trip up Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain in Argyll on March 27 and he has raised almost £6000 so far.

His aggregate height climbed is just under 30,000 metres, the equivalent of going up and down the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - more than 35 times.

He has also walked 255 miles - the distance from Glasgow to North Wales - and driven the same distance as that between his home city and Las Vegas.

Andrew added: "It has taken a lot of time and ­effort to complete the challenge but I know it is something my dad would have wanted me to finish after he passed away.

"He was a man who ­always put others before himself and was never one to be the centre of attention but he was flattered when I first started climbing and donations began coming in.

"Cancer is something so many people experience ­either directly or indirectly and a lot of those who have contributed can relate to what my dad went through.

"The money raised will help the Beatson Cancer Charity assist people living with the illness and hopefully this challenge has raised awareness of how ruthless the disease can be."

Donations to the, When I'm 64 Challenge for the Beatson Cancer Charity, can be made online at justgiving.com/whenim64-beatsoncentre.

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk