A missing army veteran was airlifted to safety yesterday after using his skills to survive several days in the wilderness.
Paul Conway got lost on his 30-mile trek from Glenfinnan viaduct to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula in Lochaber after setting off last Tuesday.
The 67-year-old, who survived outside in heavy rain and strong winds, lost mobile signal but managed to make it to the southern shores of Loch Morar in the remote Highland area to call for help yesterday afternoon.
A major land and air search operation, involving police, coastguard and mountain rescue teams, was launched on Friday when the grandfather failed to arrive in Inverie as planned.
Paul Conway, 67, went missing while walking in a remote corner of the Highlands but used his military skills to survive in the Scottish wilderness
Inverie (above) is Britain’s most remote mainland community – population 111, no roads in or out, accessible either by a 40km (24-mile) hike over wild mountainous terrain or a six-mile journey by ferry from Mallaig
The nearest village to Inverie is Glenfinnan, a two-day walk away
In a heartfelt message just hours before he was found, his son Chris Conway feared the worst and said ‘dead or alive I need him found’.
But last night Mr Conway Jnr said his father, who served with the British Army’s 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment for 11 years, was ‘in good health and good spirits’.
And he thanked everyone who helped find the pensioner and ‘bring him to safety’.
Iain Murray, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, hailed it a ‘brilliant result for him and for all the many people who looked for him’.
He said: ‘It is also a tribute to Paul’s survival skills for he had faced some challenging weather to say the least – as did the people who searched for him.’
Met Office spokesman Dan Stroud said an active weather front was moving across Scotland on Saturday ‘so he would have had to deal with a lot of rain and strong gusty winds’.
He said Sunday was better, with sunny spells, but there would still have been some blustery and frequent showers for him to contend with.
Given the amount of time spent outdoors Mr Conway, who also served with Northumbria Police for 30 years, was taken to hospital as a precaution but was ‘otherwise uninjured’.
The good news came after his son Chris posted on social media earlier that the grandfather had failed to sign in to the second bothy on his trek from Glenfinnan viaduct to Inverie on the Knyodart peninsula.
He was expected to arrive at the remote village on Friday afternoon where he intended to stop off for a ‘free pint’ at the village pub – the remotest one in the UK.
He travelled by train from Newcastle and contacted family when he arrived at Glenfinnan around 6.40pm last Tuesday.
But they raised the alarm when he failed to inform them he had arrived in Inverie three days later.
Missing walker Paul Conway had fancied a drink at the remote Old Forge Pub in the village of Inverie (pictured)
Mr Conway got lost on his 30-mile trek from Glenfinnan viaduct to Inverie, on the Knoydart peninsula
The village, which sits on the northern edge of Loch Nevis, is not connected to any roads and is only accessible by boat from nearby Mallaig.
In an earlier appeal, his son said: ‘The dafty is 67 but still thinks he is 21 and can do anything. Which he can’t.’
He went on to explain that Mr Conway signed the book of the first of three bothies on his route. But he failed to sign into the next two.
The son added he believed his dad may have ‘lost his route, has injured himself or has succumbed to something’, adding: ‘Dead or alive I need him found. It’s been a torturous few days.’
Mr Conway was equipped for the trip having set off wearing a waterproof jacket and walking boots. He also had his supplies in a dark Bergen-style bag and his walking poles.
Inspector Ross McCartney of Fort William Police Station said he was ‘delighted’ that the walker had reunited safe and well with his family.
He added: ‘This was a challenging and protracted search involving a number of partner agencies and specialist police resources.
‘These included Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, the RAF Mountain Rescue Team, Search and Rescue Dog Association, HM Coastguard and the Police Scotland Mountain Rescue Team.
‘We are grateful to everyone involved in the search for their efforts in bringing about this positive outcome.’
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