A MOVING video has captured the moment a devoted dad finally hauled a 120kg anvil to the top of a mountain – and raised £12,700 for charity.
David Ballantyne took over a month to drag the 265lb deadweight up 874m Goatfell, Arran, finishing on Sunday.
The binman – now 55 – even spent his birthday on one of the backbreaking seven-hour climbs. And after completing the ascent on Sunday, David went straight back to his job the following day (mon).
Now incredible footage shows David triumphant at the top of the mountain – as he completes the task.
Bagpipes play as David – known as “Davy” to friends – can be seen placing the anvil at the very pinnacle of the mountain.
Davy is wearing a kilt – with no top on – in the boiling hot weather which swept the west coast of Scotland over the weekend.
The video was uploaded online by Peter Mckinnon on Monday.
He said: “‘Inspirational’ is the only word that springs to mind.
“A massive well done Davy. It truly was a mammoth feat.”
David, who weights 15kg less than the anvil, launched the incredible feat after his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year.
He took his entire remaining holiday for 2016 to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
David set a fundraising goal of £3,000 but has reached nearly £12,000.
Davy pulled the anvil as far up the mountain as he can each day, before leaving it overnight and returning the next morning.
In total it has taken him 26 days, finishing the mammoth task on Sunday in soaring temperatures rising towards the mid 20s.
Describing the experience some two weeks ago – as he was in the middle of the challenge – he said: “It’s getting harder each day since I’m having to walk further up the mountain to get to where I last finished. I’ve now got an hour’s walk before I even start pulling the anvil.
“I bring two wooden planks with mel to manoeuvre it over tricky bits of terrain – there is absolutely no balance on the thing.
He added: “I knew I wanted to do something to raise money for charity, but there was no way I was going to do a run or a jog.
“I suppose it’s just my crazy mind that came up with the idea. I saw an anvil at work and thought it would be a good challenge.
“I’ve always done manual labour and I love being out in the countryside, so it was perfect.
“I could have done it with an anvil half the size, I could do that no problem. But that wouldn’t be a struggle – and that’s the message I really want to get across.”
His daughter, 10-year-old Roisin, was diagnosed with the debilitating condition last year and has had to drastically change her diet and lifestyle to adapt.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar levels to become too high.
It is the most common type of childhood diabetes, and those affected have to take regular insulin injections to keep their glucose levels normal.
