Cardiac patients treated at University Hospital Hairmyres took part in a national walking challenge, which saw them virtually trek across Europe.

The challenge, which marked World Heart Day, saw Hairmyres patients clocking up 7,603,879 steps and walking across Europe from east to west.

The national ‘World Heart Day 2017 Team’, made up of cardiac patients across Scotland, crossed Europe six times, walking a staggering 18,756 miles.

Faye McSpurren, cardiac rehabilitation nurse specialist, said: “Our patients are aged between 35 and 85. They have loved competing in the challenge.

“Due to their health conditions, completing the challenge is a massive achievement for them. The result is that they are seeing an improvement in their overall health.

“One patient in her eighties now regularly  walks  between 20,000 and 30,000 steps per week and two men over the age of 70 are now walking up to 90,000 steps each week.

“The challenge has been such a success that several patients are continuing to log their steps as an extension of their cardiac rehabilitation programme.”

The team logged their steps on World Walking, a free website created to motivate people to walk more. The website allows you to use the distances you walk to complete virtual walks to some of the world’s most wonderful places.

The walk the group chose, saw them walking from Istanbul in Turkey to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.

83 year old Maureen Gardner, who took part in the walking challenge, said: “I felt really good after completing the programme.

“After only four weeks, I was able to walk without the use of my stick. It makes such a difference when staff are so helpful.

“I still have my pedometer and continue to walk even although the programme has finished.”

The challenge will be repeated for World Heart Day 2018, where the national team aims to reach one billion steps.