18 Scouts. 7 Hills. 24 Hours.

Last weekend, 18 young people from Comely Bank Scout Group decided that sleep was optional and hills were personal.

They took on the 7 Hills of Edinburgh challenge. It began on Corstorphine Hill on Friday night and rolled on through Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill, Castle Rock, Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill and Blackford Hill across Saturday. Around 25 kilometres. Somewhere between 700 and 800 metres of elevation. A cheerful 30,000 to 40,000 steps. All within 24 hours.

They’re aged between 10 and 14.

And they absolutely smashed it.

This was not just a long wander with snacks. They climbed in the dark. They climbed in the wind. They climbed when their legs started asking difficult questions. They kept going.

They’re raising money for Summer Camp 2026, their first ever overseas trip. Destination: Belfast. For many of them it will be a first time away from home, a first time navigating somewhere unfamiliar, a first time realising they can do hard things and come out grinning on the other side.

Which, really, is the whole point of Scouting.

Volunteer Niamh was right there with them, taking on the challenge for the first time herself and quietly making sure it all happened. The kind of steady presence that turns “this might work” into “of course it did”.

Every donation goes directly towards making that camp a reality.

To all eighteen of them: you didn’t need luck. You brought grit, teamwork, and a frankly unreasonable relationship with hills.

Onwards. 🏕️