Scottish dog first to complete all of UK's highest peaks

Betty has achieved all six major hill categories in Scotland - including 282 Munros, 227 Munro Tops, 222 Corbetts, 231 Grahams and 140 Donalds.

The nine-year-old Kerry Blue Terrier has also reached the summits of 22 Furths - the highest peaks in England, Wales and Ireland.

Less than 100 people have accomplished the feat.

Alongside her owner, Shona Marshall, the pair have now completed their final mountain summit - the 2,818ft tall Morrone, near Braemar, in the Highlands.

Ms Marshall, 60, has always been a keen hill-walker, adopted Betty during the Covid lockdowns, and a year later, the pair had climbed every Munro - a feat which takes on average 15 years to complete.

"I got Betty when she was around 16 months old," said Ms Marshall, who lives in Moray.

As Scotland came out of lockdown, the pair joined a neighbour who had 30 Munros left to complete.

Keen to keep climbing, Ms Marshall then decided to add the Munro Tops to her list - a selection of smaller peaks under 3,000ft.

Shortly after came the Donalds, mountains in the Scottish Borders that are over 2,000ft high.

After joining the Munro Society, Ms Marshall was informed that no dog had ever completed a full house - while experts also told her fewer than 100 people have ticked off every hill on the list.

She decided to take on the challenge, aiming to climb each peak before Betty turns 10 years old in June - and since then, the pair have averaged around four hills per week.

"It was mentioned to me that no dogs had done the full house - and I only realised at the end of last year that fewer than 100 people have done a full house," Ms Marshall said.

"The initial aim was to complete by June - by Betty's tenth birthday, because you just don't know how long you're going to have your dog around and how long they're going to be capable of walking up hills.

"When I got pushed for a completion date last summer, I thought that if we pull our finger out, we could complete within four years, so that's why the 12 April was picked.

"We had to do on average four hills a week - which was quite a challenge for the Corbetts and Grahams, because a lot of them are quite isolated hills compared to the Munros."

Her safety is paramount to Ms Marshall, who uses a lead wherever possible to ensure Betty doesn't get hurt attempting to chase prey.

During their time in the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye, Betty even sat comfortably in a rucksack while Shona rock climbed and abseiled to reach the peaks.

"She's great at using her nose and finding wee paths that have been made by deer - many of the Grahams and Corbetts don't have paths, because they're not climbed by many people,” Ms Marshall said.

"It's really strengthened the bond between us, I think."

She added: "She's such a great companion on the hill - I never feel on my own. I often get asked, particularly as a woman, whether I feel nervous being out there on my own, but I never have, because she's always there. Betty is my companion.”

Throughout her journey, Ms Marshall has been aiming to raise money for the Kerry Blue Rescue, a charity which helps to rehome Kerry Blue Terriers like Betty.

A link to their fundraiser can be found here.