A retired biology teacher took his grandson up Schiehallion for the young boy’s first climb recently.
But for Richard Paul, his summit success of the famous Perthshire Munro has now toppled 100 times.
Richard was a teacher in biology, geology and computing at the now closed Rannoch School for 25 years and also spent a decade at Pitlochry High School.
His early life studying zoology at Glasgow University and entomology (moths) at Imperial College and the British Natural History Museum made him a passionate conservationist and he is keen to pass this on.
He brought his eight-year-old grandson Rory to the summit of Schiehallion for the first time last week, to show him not just the view but also the distinctive rocks and to check for new plant species.
Rory lives in London and his dad Jamie was born in Rannoch, where Richard has lived since 1977.
Completing a century of climbs up Schiehallion has brought new and invigorating experiences on each occasion.
“Jamie grew up here and it was he who was keen that his son, Rory, should climb Schiehallion and experience an environment much in contrast to London,” explained Richard.
Richard, his wife Elspeth, Jamie and Rory made the climb at the end of last month in fine conditions.
“On Monday my wife and I went up the west ridge,” he continued. “My purpose was to record the plants at altitude, having done the same from the east side last Wednesday when I took my grandson.
“I found no species new to science but seeing Blinks (also called water Blinks or Miner’s lettuce) growing right at the summit was interesting, as is the Alpine Pearlwort close to the top.
“The west ridge is carpeted in Crowberry and Cloudberry. And we saw a ptarmigan near the summit on the west side.”
Living as he does at the foot of the pointy-topped Munro, it is perhaps natural that Richard is regularly up there and he believes this was his 100th time at the summit.
He told the PA why the mountain is the glory of Perthshire.
“Schiehallion has the advantage for me of proximity,” he smiled. “Our house is just at the bottom.
“Then, naturally, it has a graceful and memorable shape when viewed from the west.
“It has very interesting geology - Quartzite, Dalradian Limestone, the unique Schiehallion boulder bed.
“The Schiehallion limestone pavement is a site of scientific interest and the best one in Scotland. The limestone means that there is an interesting set of plants.
“The associated natural history, perhaps especially, the ornithology and particularly the birds of prey, are an attraction.
“I am not alone, of course, as about 25,000 people ascent it per year.
“Then there is the mythology as related by Alex Cunningham in his ‘Tales of Rannoch.’”
Richard was regional officer for the British Trust for Ornithology for Perthshire and he is an advisor to the Loch Rannoch Conservation Association.
He is also associated with the Dùn Coillich project (www.HPCLT.org) where he was formally the community land trust’s chair, now advisor and volunteer.
