ADVENTURER Brian Thomson has made it safely back onto the mainland after spending six days alone on Fidra Island to raise money for Children in Need.

Brian, who is paralysed from the waist down, spent last week living as a castaway on the island with nearly no food, no entertainment, and only a satellite phone for emergencies, and has so far raised about £4,500 for the charity.

The 47-year-old, from North Berwick, enjoyed his time alone but admitted: “By Saturday, I was ready to come home.” The unusual camping trip was not the first time wheelchair-user Brian has undertaken a challenging fundraiser, having previously climbed North Berwick Law using only his hands, spent two days suspended in a tree and driven between John O’Groats and Cape Town, South Africa.

Brian said: “I had a lot of time to think and enjoyed the experience but I was definitely ready to leave when Saturday came. Since being home I’ve seen footage of Children in Need’s night and it reminds me why I did it, and what a good cause it is.

“I’ve been delighted by the response from people; getting updates from my wife about donations coming in kept me going through the week. It was certainly an experience.” Brian landed on the island on Sunday, November 9, and came home on Saturday.

He made his own shelter on the island and, apart from the occasional visist from staff at the Scottish Seabird Centre checking cameras, and the unexpected arrival of two French tourists one afternoon, was completely alone.

Brian, of Lochbridge Road, was brought home by his father and friends on Saturday, in a hair-raising trip.

He said: “On Saturday because of the tides they could only come on the island on the west side so they had to come and get me, and carry me and my equipment over the island to the boat.

“I am glad we left on Saturday, though, the tides have been pretty wild since then and I would have still been there now if I had waited another day.” Brian is still taking donations for Children in Need on his Justgiving page and has been handed money in the street since his return from supporters. He also had buckets in pubs around the town during his stay on the island.

To donate to Brian’s cause go to justgiving.com/brian-thomson-fidra