A missing Army veteran was airlifted to safety yesterday after using his skills to survive several days in the desert.
Paul Conway got lost on his 30-mile walk from Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula in Lochaber after setting off last Tuesday.
The 67-year-old, who survived being out in heavy rain and strong winds, lost mobile signal but managed to reach the southern shore of Loch Morar in the remote Highlands to call for help yesterday afternoon.
A major land and air search operation involving police, coastguard and mountain rescue teams was launched on Friday when the grandfather failed to arrive in Inverie as planned.
Paul Conway, 67, went missing while hiking in a remote corner of the Highlands but used his military skills to survive in the Scottish wilderness.
Inverie (above) is Britain’s most remote mainland community: it has a population of 111, no roads in or out and is accessible by a 24-mile (40 km) walk through wild mountainous terrain or by a six-mile ferry ride from Mallaig.
The nearest village to Inverie is Glenfinnan, a two-day walk away.
In an emotional message just hours before he was found, his son Chris Conway feared the worst, saying: “Dead or alive, I need him found.”
But last night Mr Conway Jr said his father, who served in the British Army’s 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment for 11 years, was “in good health and in good spirits”.
He also thanked everyone who helped find the pensioner and “bring him to safety.”
Iain Murray, leader of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, called it “a brilliant outcome for him and everyone who was looking for him”.
He said: “It is also a tribute to Paul’s survival skills as he had to brave some of the most difficult weather conditions, just like the people who searched for him.”
Met Office spokesman Dan Stroud said an active weather front was moving across Scotland on Saturday, “so we would have had to deal with a lot of rain and strong gusts of wind”.
He said Sunday was better, with sunny spells, but he would still have to deal with some windy and frequent showers.
Given the amount of time he spent outdoors, Mr Conway, who also served with Northumbria Police for 30 years, was taken to hospital as a precaution but was “otherwise uninjured”.
The good news came after his son Chris posted on social media that the grandfather had been unable to check into the second hut on his journey from the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie on the Knyodart Peninsula.
He was expected to arrive in the remote village on Friday afternoon, where he intended to stop for a “free pint” at the village pub, the remotest in the UK.
He travelled by train from Newcastle and made contact with his family when he arrived at Glenfinnan at around 6.40pm last Tuesday.
But they raised the alarm when he failed to inform them that he had arrived in Inverie three days later.
Missing walker Paul Conway had been craving a drink at the remote Old Forge pub in the village of Inverie (pictured)
Mr Conway became lost on his 30-mile journey from the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula.
The village, which lies at the northern end of Loch Nevis, is not connected to any road and can only be accessed by boat from nearby Mallaig.
In an earlier appeal, his son said: “The fool is 67 years old, but he still thinks he is 21 and can do anything. But he can’t.”
He went on to explain that Mr. Conway signed the register for the first of the three cabins on his route, but did not sign the register for the next two.
The son added that he believed his father may have “lost his way, gotten hurt or succumbed to something,” adding: “Dead or alive, I need him found. It’s been a torturous few days.”
Mr Conway was equipped for the journey, wearing a waterproof jacket and hiking boots. He also carried his supplies in a dark Bergen-style bag and his trekking poles.
Inspector Ross McCartney of Fort William Police Station said he was “delighted” the walker had been safely reunited with his family.
He added: “This was a challenging and lengthy search involving a number of partner agencies and specialist law enforcement resources.
‘These included Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, RAF Mountain Rescue Team, Search and Rescue Dog Association, Her Majesty’s Coastguard and Police Scotland Mountain Rescue Team.
“We are grateful to everyone involved in the search for their efforts in achieving this positive outcome.”