Return to Schiehallion

On a sunny Saturday in September, a group of determined children who have battled cancer made their way to the Perthshire Munro, Schiehallion.

For more than a quarter of a century the oncology ward at the children’s hospital in Glasgow has been known as Schiehallion. Hundreds of families have made the pilgrimage to the summit of the mountain over the course of the past 25 years, in recognition of the uphill battle faced by children with cancer.

Organised by Glasgow's Children's Hospital Charity, this used to be annual event at Schiehallion, paused only due to the pandemic. It was great to see around 200 people attend, allowing patients, parents, siblings, friends and staff to come together and pay tribute to those cared for on the Schiehallion ward.

“This has been an emotional and inspiring day for the patients, families, and the staff as we came together to conquer the mountain that our ward is so aptly named after. To be able to be with these children on a day like this when they have laughed, played, planted trees and been part of many other activities, which shows how far they have come, is phenomenal. We thank the charity for organising such as wonderful event and I look forward to hearing how the children and their families continue to inspire us as they take the next steps in their journey,” said Professor Brenda Gibson, Schiehallion Unit Consultant, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

At basecamp, there was a plethora of fun and adventurous activities available to take part in including tree planting, marshmallow toasting over campfires, den building and storytelling! We helped guide groups to our tree planting area where they planted oak and birch saplings.

“We hosted the event for five consecutive years before the pandemic stopped us” added the Trust’s Engagement Manager Hannah Shaw. “So we were absolutely delighted to be able to invite all the children and their families to join us again this year.”

• A big thanks goes out to Heather and Fred from the Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust – our partners in the Heart of Scotland Forest Partnership - who helped facilitate the tree planting.
• Thanks also to McGill's Buses for providing free travel for the families to and from the mountain.