While the Kiltwalk may pose relatively few challenges for most participants, for Gary Jamieson it will be a little more than a long walk in the park.
The 42-year-old triple-amputee from Strathaven has pledged to take on the Wee Wander from Gypsy Brae to BT Murrayfield at the charity event in the capital on September 18.
Dad-of-two Gary lost both legs and an arm when a roadside bomb exploded in Afghanistan north of Lashkar Gah when deployed there while on his second tour with 1st Battalion The Scots Guards in 2010.
Gary’s path to the Kiltwalk has not been without its difficulties, but with the support of wife Claire, and daughters Nikkole, 26, and 13-year-old Taylan – as well as SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity he is fundraising for – he has made it.
Gary told Lanarkshire Live : "When I was injured, I was helped on my road to recovery by several charities along the way, and I’ve helped raise money for each of those charities over the years because my biggest fear is that an injured soldier would not get the same support that I received.
"SSAFA helped me with the support I needed to have my house converted to enable me to go home after I was discharged from hospital, supporting me with attachments and adaptations that let me drive again, giving me back freedom to live a normal life."
Gary was on an afternoon foot patrol in April 2010 when his platoon unknowingly entered an IED field.
"As I pivoted my foot, the explosion went off," he recalls. "I was conscious throughout, so I immediately knew my legs were away."
In the seconds after the explosion, a photograph he had taken of his daughter Taylan popped into his head.
"When the tourniquets went on, ever since that point on I never thought of dying again," he says. "I thought: 'I'm going to be safe, and I need to get back to my family'."
He spent six weeks in hospital and was then transferred to Headley Court, the Ministry of Defence's rehab centre in Surrey, where he met other amputees at various stages of recovery.
Gary has since been fitted with pioneering 'bionic' legs which fuse with his body. The titanium prothesis meld with Gary Jamieson's skin and bone to become part of him.
And the incredible technology helped him win his battle to walk again.
"My leg stumps had been so badly damaged that the normal way of doing prosthetics just wasn't working for me", Gary explained. "I was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life until I had this operation.
"It was like getting my legs back again. I could go anywhere I wanted and not have the worry about my legs falling off. It gave me freedom and has enabled me to do this kiltwalk.
"I would never have even thought of doing something like this before but now I know I can do it."
Since his injury, Gary pledged to give back to support other veterans and has raised thousands of pounds for various military charities.
Currently unemployed, he is now focusing on fundraising for SSAFA with the hope of securing a job as a peer support worker for a veteran's charity.
"When I first got injured I had to get a lot of work carried out converting the house and adapting the drive", added Gary. "I realised how much money just one injured soldier could actually cost.
"My biggest fear was someone coming through and not having the same support that I did.
"SSAFA’s the main charity that covers all the Armed Forces, and I feel now that it’s the best one to support for our service personnel now and in the future, just as it has done for 137 years, because when you support SSAFA you know that you’re helping the whole military family."
Each penny raised for SSAFA and other charities will be topped up by 50 per cent by Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation.
To support Gary on his Kiltwalk and help him smash his £200 target, make a donation here.
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