Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen has given £4,000 to a mountain rescue team after being moved by the inspiring climb of the daughter of one of Scotland’s most famous mountaineers who died in a double tragedy.
Even more emotionally, Adele Perry, 24, made the trek up Ben Hope in Sutherland on the first anniversary of the accident that claimed her father, Steve, and his friend Andy Nisbet. She scattered some of her father’s ashes at the summit.
Father-of-three Steve, 47, who lived at Dalcross near Inverness was killed on February 5 last year with Andy, 65.
They got into severe difficulty on 3,041ft Ben Hope, which is on an estate owned by Mr Povlsen – Scotland’s largest landowner.
Mr Povlsen and his wife Anne tragically lost three of their four children in last Easter’s Sri Lankan bombings.
Adele marked the first anniversary of her own tragedy on Wednesday by scaling Ben Hope with some of the rescuers who tried to save her father and Andy.
Now Mr Povlsen’s company, Wildland, has given £4,000 to Adele’s crowdfunder for Assynt Mountain Rescue Team, one of teams that tried to save Steve. The couple have also written to Adele.
Meanwhile, the company wrote to Adele, saying: “We are inspired by your actions and, further to the personal letter from Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen, Wildland Limited makes this donation in memory of your father and Andy.”
Adele said: ”I just want to thank everybody who has donated, no matter how large or small. This is the icing on the cake though.
“It was a tough and emotional day, but dad is home now.
“Somebody else has donated £1,000 to Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team. I don’t know how much I have raised but it must be over £8,000.”
Steve initially survived the fall and managed to make a call for help by mobile phone.
Their bodies were recovered after a two-day operation involving nearly 50 members of mountain rescue teams and two Coastguard helicopters.
Adele is raising money for both teams who tried to save the pair – the other being Dundonnell MRT.
Assynt Mountain Rescue Team leader Sue Agnew said:”She battled horrendous conditions – strong winds and driving, sideways rain, but she was so determined to do this for her dad.
“For us, it was also closure of a chapter. Many of us knew Steve and Andy. There were tears at the summit. It was emotional.”
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