Death of Highland heroine (93) who raised £435k 'climbing' Suilven during coronavirus lockdown
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A Highland lockdown legend who captured the nation's hearts by climbing the equivalent of 2398ft high mountain for charity has died, aged 93.
Great-grandmother Margaret Payne climbed the stairs at her home 282 times – the equivalent height of Suilven – during the spring of 2020 when she was shielding during the coronavirus pandemic.
Her stairclimbing challenge raised over £435,000 for NHS Charities Together, NHS Highland, RNLI and Highland Hospice.
She was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her remarkable achievement in the Queen's Birthday Honours List later that year and was also commended in the Scottish Parliament as well as receiving a letter of congratulations from Prince Charles.
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Mrs Payne, who died last night, would have been 94 tomorrow.
Andrew Leaver, the Highland Hospice's head of income and development, paid tribute to Mrs Payne who lived near Lairg in Sutherland.
"Margaret was a complete legend," he said.
"At 90 years old, Margaret set herself the target of climbing the height of Suilven on her stairs.
"Over three months she went up those stairs 282 times and in the process raised nearly half a million pounds for charity and was feted across the UK as a lockdown hero.
"The Margaret I met that spring was an unassuming, joyful lady, selflessly making the most of a difficult time. I feel privileged to have met her.
"The hospice will be forever grateful to her for that support and to her family for sharing this lovely lady with the world."
Mrs Payne moved with her husband, Jim, from the south of England to the Highlands in 1979 after he retired from the city where he ran a shipping line although they had often holidayed in the area.
The couple had a son and two daughters.
Sadly, Mr Payne, who was a major fundraiser for the Highland Hospice, died on Christmas Day 2019 after being cared for by local NHS staff.
A few months later Mrs Payne was faced with the uncertainty and fear of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was struck by the way doctors and nurses and other health staff were putting their lives on the line but as a vulnerable shielded person in poor health, she realised her options to make a difference were limited.
But she was inspired by Captain Tom Moore who raised millions of pounds for the NHS by walking 100 laps in his garden to mark his 100th birthday.
She set herself the challenge of raising £10,000 but her endeavours quickly captured the public's imagination and included a shout out on air by TV presenter Lorraine Kelly.
It had been 76 years since she first scaled Suilven as a 15-year-old with her sister, Elizabeth, after being evacuated to Lochinver during World War II.
But she acknowledged she had never been a hill walker and had knee problems all her life.
She was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2020 for services to the community in Lochinver during the Covid-19 response.
Publication of the list, which was agreed before the pandemic took hold in the UK, was postponed in June that year so individuals who played crucial roles in the first months of the outbreak could be added.
After being told of the award, Mrs Payne's reaction was one of surprise.
"I am thrilled about it," she said at the time. "I never dreamed this would happen."
