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Quinn Young (10), from Inverness, becomes youngest girl to conquer all of Scotland's Munros





Quinn Young has fun outdoors.
Quinn Young has fun outdoors.

A 10-year-old girl from is Inverness is proud to have conquered all of Scotland's Munros.

Quinn Young completed the incredible feat at Carn nan Gobhar – west of Inverness – on October 13.

The Duncan Forbes Primary P6 pupil said: "I feel proud of myself. I'm not sure what else to say.

"I'm pleased to have done them all and I want to do some of them again. My favourites are on Skye, including In Pin [The Inaccessible Pinnacle]. They offer different things, which I like."

Quinn, who is also a member of Inverness Harriers and a swimming club, while being a keen cyclist and playing the trumpet for a brass band, added: "I like doing lots of things, but I also relax sometimes by drawing and watching TV."

Quinn Young is always well prepared.
Quinn Young is always well prepared.

She was accompanied on her journey by her dad Ian (47), who is immensely proud of Quinn who climbed her first Munro – Ben Wyvis – when she was just four years old.

"She's absolutely amazing," he said.

"I don't think she quite realises what she has achieved.

"I only completed the Munros myself relatively recently and people are amazed by what she has accomplished and liked to see her and talk to her during the climbs.

Ian and Quinn Young.
Ian and Quinn Young.

"When we finished, it was a bit emotional. She told me: 'I'll miss walking with you daddy'. It's difficult to pinpoint what we'll do now, but we're still go to go out and be active – that's for sure."

The most number of Munros conquered in a single day was nine, across a ridge.

"Quinn's energy and enthusiasm was second to none," Ian said. "She loved seeing the animals, the waterfalls and the views. She would often spot things and point them out to me and those sorts of interactions were brilliant. Nothing can beat some of the memories we've made."

Quinn's mother Fiona, an advanced nurse practioner in Inverness, and her brother David (20), who works offshore, also completed some of the climbs.

Quinn Young.
Quinn Young.

Ian has heard that David has told colleagues, who are astounded by his sister's achievement.

From chocolate and sweeties to everything an experienced Munro bagger would need, Quinn and Ian carried all their own kit and did plenty of weather checks to stay safe every time.

They are thinking of tackling a few smaller peaks next, with some Corbetts and Grahams on the cards for the Culloden duo.

Quinn and Ian Young.
Quinn and Ian Young.

Ian, who is the store manager of Nisa in Hilton, said: "It's all about being active and staying active and not taking any of this for granted. We live in a beautiful country.

"If we can inspire one person to realise that they could do this, that they could have such amazing experiences, then that would be worth its weight in gold.

"It's not going to be me that inspires them though – it'll be Quinn, she's the star. I might just help some parents think that they could do it too, if they want to."

Quinn Young has been climbing Munros since she was four.
Quinn Young has been climbing Munros since she was four.

Ian added: "The biggest thing I've learned through all this was to let Quinn talk.

"She could talk to me for as long as she wanted about whatever she wanted and that's changed the barrier between parent and friendship.

"The level of engagement we have now is a massive win and I'm immensely proud of her."


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