HIGHLANDS — David Parrish, a 35-year-old ultra-marathon champion and former Royal Marine from Dumfries, died while attempting to break the record for the fastest man to complete Scotland's Cape Wrath Trail on Saturday. Parrish was found in the remote mountainous area of Kintail in the north-west Highlands at about 22:25, Police Scotland said. "There are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware," the force said.

The Cape Wrath Trail is a 234-mile (376 km) route from Fort William to Cape Wrath, passing through Lochaber, Knoydart, Applecross and Torridon, and is considered one of the most challenging routes in the United Kingdom. Parrish won the Cape Wrath Trail race in 2023 despite having competed in running for only a few years.

Parrish was running the route to raise money for Scottish Mountain Rescue in memory of his close friend, Luke Ireland, a 20-year-old Royal Marine from Monifeith who died while running in the mountains of Glen Cova in Angus in November 2014. "Mountain rescue team volunteers searched tirelessly for Luke and were available 365 days a year to respond to emergencies in the mountains and remote areas of Scotland," Parrish wrote on his fundraising page. Thousands of pounds have been raised on the charity page.

Parrish began running in his late teens and built up to racing in his early 20s, taking part in a series of local 5km and 10km races. He later joined the Royal Marines and used running as a way of decompressing from the demands of his job. After leaving the service, he began competing in Parkruns and walked the Cape Wrath Trail in 2021 before winning the race in 2023. He was a member of the Dumfries Running Club and was club champion in 2022.

Harriet D'Alessio and Christiaan Le Roux, owners of No Limits Photography, which photographed Parrish during the 2023 Cape Wrath event, paid tribute to him. "David has always been such a joyful person and an inspirational ultra marathon athlete to spend time with. The world and the sport will be a far lesser place without him," they said.