Grandad who went for a 'free pint' found alive after going missing for a week

The family of a walker who was found safe a week after he went missing have expressed their deep gratitude towards all those involved in the successful search for him. Paul Conway, 67, had ventured from the Newcastle area to the Scottish Highlands on September 10, with the aim of trekking from Glenfinnan to Inverie in Knoydart, a secluded peninsula within the region of Lochaber.

He had last been in touch with his relatives at around 6.40pm, but concern grew when he didn't reach his planned stop on September 13. The ambitious walk, mapped out by Bing Maps as approximately an 8-hour and 55-minute journey spanning 27.7 miles, became a focal point for extensive search efforts.

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Eventually, Mr. Conway was located on Tuesday, in good condition albeit lost, to the south of Loch Morar, within a barely accessible area. Post-discovery, he underwent a hospital check for precautionary reasons due to his prolonged exposure outdoors, yet fortunately sustained no injuries.

Mr Conway, a former soldier and police officer, headed out on a 30-mile trek from the Glenfinnan viaduct to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula in Lochaber last Tuesday planned to enjoy a "free pint" at The Old Forge, considered one of the UK's most remote pubs. But the alarm was raised when he failed to arrive on September 13.

With a lost phone signal and battling the heavy wind and rain, the grandad, who used to serve in the Parachute Regiment eventually managed to raise the alarm, seven days later. Just hours before he was found, his son had taken to social media to ask for help finding his dad "dead or alive".

Speaking about the ordeal, Paul's son Chris Conway said: "On behalf of the whole family I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in searches for our father over the past few days. He is in good health and good spirits after this experience and again I would like to thank everyone who has helped find him and bring him to safety."

Inspector Ross McCartney from the Fort William police station said: "We are delighted that Paul has been found and reunited safe and well with his family. 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."

Iain Murray, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, called it a "brilliant result for him and for all the many people who looked for him". He added: "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."