THREE women from Kenton have completed a charity trek across the Outer Hebrides.

Ruth Lewin-Titt, Karen Towill and Jayne Archer walked 156 miles across 10 islands to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.

Travelling on foot, the challenge took more than two weeks to complete. They’ve so far raised more than £3,700 with donations still coming in.

The trio were inspired by Ruth’s husband, Mark, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021.

“He freezes and falls over, but he's been absolutely amazing,” Ruth explained.

“Mark has been so resilient and accepting of his diagnosis. In his own words, he’s ‘gone with the flow’. I have so admired his attitude. He has kept his sense of humour throughout his Parkinson's journey and when his carers are visiting him the house is full of laughter.”

The ladies caught the attention of the local community on their trip. They were easily spotted sporting their Parkinson’s UK tabards and lucky Highland cow mascots, Hamish and Dougie McDougall.

Karen said: “People we met along the way were extremely generous. We are overwhelmed by the amount we’ve raised. And if it gets people talking and raises their awareness about Parkinson’s all the better.”

Jayne added: “We love walking. We've got Dartmoor on our doorstep, so we’re used to being out in wide open spaces. But this was something we’d never seen. We spent a year planning and it was unbelievable to finally be out there.”

Despite being seasoned walkers, they have encountered challenges. Not least the Scottish weather.

“It was hard in places,” Ruth explained.

“Crossing the causeway to Eriskay in 50 mile an hour winds. And at that point, we were still walking with our rucksacks. But we found a taxi to take our rucksacks and life got a lot easier!”

The ladies finished their challenge on 18 June 2025 but stayed in the islands a few more days to take in Midsummer’s Eve at Callanish Standing Stones.

In addition to raising vital funds, part of their motivation was to raise awareness of Parkinson’s.

The complex brain condition affects around 166,000 people in the UK. However, with more than 40 different symptoms, the condition is varied and affects everyone differently.

“Nearly everybody has a connection to somebody living with Parkinson’s,” Ruth continued.

“But it’s not that well understood. It would be great if more people knew that if someone is a bit slow or falls over, they're not drunk, that’s Parkinson's. With the condition, people get much slower and communication gets harder. I just want people to see somebody and think ‘Ah, could that be Parkinson’s’.

“Everyone in the Hebrides gave us such a warm welcome. It was lovely hearing their Parkinson's stories. I felt the comfort of speaking to people going through the same thing. I was so touched by all the donations I was given along the way.”

Karen Safe, Community Fundraiser for Parkinson’s UK, said:“Congratulations to Ruth, Karen and Jayne for completing their trek across the Outer Hebrides. We’re really grateful to them for taking on this challenge to support our work.

“We’re here to make every day better, for everybody living with Parkinson’s. We campaign for better health and care, fund research into groundbreaking new treatments, and run life-changing support services.

“None of this is possible without the help of inspiring supporters like Jayne, Karen and Ruth.”

To support Jayne, Ruth, and Karen, and make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/page/jayne-archer-1733415064989