A DEDICATED Greenock man who has conquered all of Scotland's mountains between 3,000-4,000ft is already reaching new heights in another gruelling challenge. 

Sam Morris, 23, has made it to the summit of all of Scotland's 282 munros over the course of the last seven years. 

Not content with bagging all of the peaks, the trekker is now knee-deep in the Scottish National Trail, a mammoth 864km walk from Kirk Yetholm in the Borders to Cape Wrath in Durness. 

Sam started climbing and hillwalking properly when he was 16 and says it's become a passion. 

He told the Tele: "There's just something about it that I enjoy so much.

"I find it really rewarding and relaxing. 

"It's hard to put it into words, it's just something I love to do."

Greenock Telegraph:

Sam started tackling munros with his friends from 5th Greenock & District Scouts when he was 16. 

He said: "We were completing one every weekend and it just grew. 

"The more we climbed, the more we started aiming for milestones. 

"I realised there was a real social aspect to it and got into it more and more."

Sam gradually started taking on climbs himself and focused on completing all 282 peaks. 

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The last munro he conquered was Sgurr nan Gillean in the Cuillins range on the Isle of Skye. 

Sam says he found scaling two of the Cuillins peaks to be his toughest challenge yet. 

He said: "I had to do some proper scrambling to get up there and it was really difficult to navigate. 

"They were very satisfying to complete.

"Some of the munros were extremely remote and it took about three days on foot to get there. 

"Others were more difficult in terms of the physical technique needed to tackle them."

The qualified microbiologist has taken a sabbatical from work to focus on his travels. 

Sam is hoping to be finished the Scottish National Trail before the end of the year. 

Greenock Telegraph:

Sam added: "There's a lot of endurance in this challenge, day after day you just keep going forward. 

"I just get up in the morning and follow the map. 

"I'm carrying everything on my back in a huge rucksack and I have to think about logistical challenges like how to keep dry, where I should camp, and when I should stop and get food."

Sam was part of 5th Greenock & District Scouts from the age of five to 20 and says his time with the group helped hone his hiking skills. 

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Sam added: "We used to go on night hikes and would be coming down the hills in rain and mud. 

"I'm completely confident in situations like that now. 

"It definitely helps you build your perseverance."

When Sam has completed the Scottish National Trail, he wants to conquer peaks around the globe. 

He said: "I would love to travel and take on some really high mountains. 

"I want to keep going and climb all over the world."