A DETERMINED pair of fundraisers went to extreme lengths to raise money for charity...by completing a marathon swim in Loch Lomond.

Colin Lavety and Paul McGuire covered almost 23 miles as they swam the entire length of the famous landmark, all the way from Balloch to Ardlui.

The distance is the equivalent of covering 1,400 lengths of a standard 25-metre pool and also eclipses the 21 miles it takes to cross the English Channel.

Barrhead man Colin raised £2,500 for Accord Hospice, in Paisley, thanks to sponsorship from family, friends and work colleagues.

Paul, a former Barrhead native, coined in a similar total for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).

Colin, who is a director with planning and design company Barton Willmore, said: “This was quite possibly the biggest challenge of my life, as we had previously only swam as far as 10 miles in our training programme.

“At the end of the day, though, all of the pain of swimming 13 hours from Balloch to Ardlui was worth it, given how much we have raised and the benefit it will bring to Accord Hospice.”

Paul, commercial manager at construction company Morris & Spottiswood, added: “Swimming over 22 miles was always going to be a massive challenge – and swimming in cold water for such a long period of time, with difficult weather conditions at certain points of the swim, only added to that.

“Having successfully completed the swim, we certainly feel an amazing sense of achievement on a personal level but are also grateful to everyone who has donated so much towards two great charities.”

To boost Colin’s fundraising total, visit the JustGiving page.

You can donate to Paul’s charity by visiting his JustGiving page