A remarkable county man is to set off to tackle the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales later this year to raise money for Recharge – just two years after beating an alcohol addiction.

Andrew Smith, from Ormiston, battled an alcohol problem for a number of years before finally beating the addiction in late 2012.

And to make the anniversary, he is to embark on the Three Peaks Challenge in November to raise funds for the Tranent youth facility.

Andrew plans to climb Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Ben Nevis over the course of three days, with the culmination of the adventure marking three years to the day since he took his final alcoholic drink, to raise money for Recharge, where he is a volunteer.

The 47-year-old explained to the Courier the reasons behind taking on such an arduous challenge.

He said: “The only thing that upsets me and that I regret is that my father never got to see me sober and doing well for myself.

“As a result of this hurt, I have come up with a plan which I hope would make my dad proud of me.” News of Andrew’s fundraising efforts have come as music to the ears of Recharge project manager Alan Bell, who has agreed to join Andrew on the journey.

And the final member of the trio completing the challenge is another Ormiston resident, youngster Aaron Stewart.

Aaron, a member of Tranent and District Pipe Band, is to accompany Andrew to the summit of the three highest peaks in Britain, before playing his bagpipes at the top of each.

Andrew wants Aaron, who he described as “a sociable guy with a heart of gold”, to represent all the young people of East Lothian on the trio’s epic journey.

While the majority of the funds raised will go towards the running costs of Recharge, Andrew will also make a donation to the Stroke Association, while Aaron will donate to a children’s cancer charity, and they will also make a donation to the various mountain rescue services who will be looking out for the trio on their adventure.