Gamekeepers strip off to bag a munro – wearing mankinis

Many people enjoy bagging a Munro each weekend – but a group of burly Angus gamekeepers did it with a difference when they stripped down to mankinis.

Stunned hillwalkers watched as the group removed their clothing and wore skin-tight pink Mankinis, but it was all in the name of a great cause, as they raised £5000 for Cancer Research.

A total of 21 gamekeepers from Angus Glens Moorland Group were happy to take part in this cheeky fundraising idea in memory of loved ones lost to the disease.

Wife of local gamekeeper Samantha Annand, and her sister Vicki Smart, lost both parents to cancer and the pair have been raising money since, with almost £20,000 handed over.

The gamekeepers make their way through the glens

On Saturday, they had additional support in the shape of gamekeeping staff, family and shepherds in the Angus and Grampian glens, who raised over £2000 with their ‘alternative’charity walk.

The rural ‘taskforce’ joined others in the community to undertake a four hour round trip to the 3081 ft summit of Mount Keen, which is a magnet for walkers, mountain bikersand sight-seers.

At the top, participants surprised more than a few hikers by removing their clothes and donning fluorescent Mankinis which left little to the imagination.

The generous group raised money for Cancer Research

Samantha Annand said: ‘The idea initially came about mainly because we wanted to do something different.

‘My husband Neal is a gamekeeper and so are a lot of his friends and he does this in order to support me and my sister Vicki. In the past we have done the Edinburgh Moonwalk and various Cancer Research races.

‘Loss from cancer doesn’t get any easier and, unfortunately, many of our friends have been affected too. Quite a few of the boys who took part in the walk have experienced the loss of loved ones but this was a great way to raise money for such an important cause. Hopefully we didn’t scare too many sheep and Munro bloggers!’

Samantha’s husband, gamekeeper Neal, who was amongst those who dispensed with their modesty for a group photo at the top said: ‘I think Amazon must be wondering what is going on in the glens of Angus because they have had lots of online orders for pink mankinis in the last few weeks.

‘Gamekeepers might not be the kind of people traditionally associated with dressing up like this, stuck up in the hills all day, but it was a great way to get together, have a blether and a laugh and raise some cash at the same time.’