26 February 2016

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met intrepid Scottish explorer Luke Robertson at the Scottish Parliament to congratulate him on being the first Scot to complete a solo, unassisted trek to the South Pole for charity.

Luke reached the South Pole on 13th January after a gruelling 39-day journey after being inspired to undertake the adventure, entitled Due South 2015, after undergoing brain surgery to remove a suspected tumour.

His efforts have already raised over £61,000 for Marie Curie and donations are still pouring in.

The First Minister also took the opportunity to  congratulate Luke’s fiancée, Hazel, who has run 230km across mountains, frozen lakes and tundra in Lapland, Sweden.

She said:

I very much enjoyed meeting Luke and hearing about his endeavours, which are nothing short of remarkable.

He and his fiancée have shown a huge amount of strength and character and their efforts to raise money for charity are simply fantastic – they really are super Scots!

I know the funds will be very much welcomed by Marie Curie and will have a huge impact on the lives of patients and their families right across the country.”

After the meeting, Luke said:

It was an honour to meet the First Minister and share our stories with her. I’d like to thank her for following my Due South 2015 expedition and for the letter of congratulations that I received upon reaching the South Pole. Both were greatly appreciated.

It was brilliant to hear that the she is also passionate about the great outdoors and the benefits that it can bring to the younger generation of Scots. Not many places in the world can compare to Scotland when it comes to providing so many exciting opportunities and outdoor activities in such close proximity.”

730mi, 39 days, £47k+ for @mariecurieuk! So so touched by support & donations. Thank you! https://t.co/0QGZPlC3g9 pic.twitter.com/aCQb6cUG0m

— Luke Robertson (@lukerobertson) January 14, 2016

Richard Meade, Marie Curie Head of Policy and Public Affairs Scotland said:

We appreciate the First Minister taking the time to congratulate Luke and Hazel. They are raising an incredible amount of money for Marie Curie which enables us to support people living with a terminal illness across Scotland and we are so grateful for their support.”

If you’re inspired by Luke and Hazel’s efforts, you can donate at justgiving.com/duesouth2015.

Read more about Luke’s story at http://duesouth2015.com/