THROUGH his photos and stories, Bill Strachan painted a fascinating picture of far-flung places for his young granddaughter.

Now 29, former Ardrossan Academy and Stanley Primary pupil Mhairi Dunlop is heading to Peru in his memory - to raise much-needed funds for the charity which helped her cope with his illness.

Bill, a former paper mill engineering manager, sadly died after a short battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), a rapidly progressing terminal illness which results in the loss of ability to walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe unaided.

“My family lost a very special and much loved man to this horrendous disease,” explains Mhairi, who lives in Glasgow but is originally from Saltcoats.

“My grandpa was always such a strong man, and one of the people I looked up to most when I was growing up.

“There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family, and I have so many great memories of time spent with him.”

Mhairi smiles: “He made my sister and I houses out of cardboard boxes and taught us how to use a computer, and he loved photography, which is definitely something I get from him.”

Bill and his wife Jean also helped Mhairi when she first moved to Aberdeen to study at Robert Gordon University.

“My grandparents met in Aberdeen, but moved back to Ayrshire, where my Gran was from, so they were always around when we were growing up, and my sister and I would regularly spend weekends staying with them,” says Mhairi.

“When they took me up for the university open day, we managed to sneak in and visit the hall where they’d met - it was a lovely trip down memory lane for them both.

“Sadly, my grandpa died when I was in third year, so he never got to see me graduate. But I know he was proud of me.”

Bill and Jean loved to travel and spent their retirement visiting countries all over the world.

“My grandparents loved cruises,” smiles Mhairi. “I used to love seeing all the photos of them dressed up for dinner and of all the places they’d been.”

It was on a half-world cruise from Australia to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary in 2006 that Bill first noticed the symptoms of MND.

“Towards the end of the journey, my grandpa started to experience a slight huskiness in his voice, and a loss of volume when speaking,” explains Mhairi.

“When they returned home, the symptoms worsened and doctors thought it might be a stroke.

“He spent much of the summer of 2006 in hospital undergoing tests to determine what was wrong.”

In early November, Mhairi was back at university in Aberdeen when her mother called with the devastating news that Bill had MND.

“I wasn’t sure what MND was, but as soon as she told me the only treatment offered was palliative care, I was heartbroken,” recalls Mhairi, softly. “Things deteriorated quickly - soon he could no longer eat, speak or swallow. He used a small whiteboard to communicate with us.

“I came home from university and was lucky enough to spend a few weeks with my grandpa at Christmas time, before he sadly passed away in January.”

She smiles: “He stayed mentally active right until the end though - he was even doing the Herald crossword on the day he died.”

Since her grandfather’s death, Mhairi and her family have fundraised tirelessly for MND Scotland.

“We’ve cycled round Millport, firewalked, held car boot sales and run 5ks, and even abseiled down the Forth Rail Bridge - which I’m never, ever doing again,” she laughs.

“When I read about the Machu Picchu trek, I knew it was something I really wanted to get involved in.

“Next year marks the 10th anniversary of losing my grandpa and it seemed like the right time to take on a massive challenge, to raise as much money as I can in his memory.”

Next September, Mhairi will join the MND Scotland Machu Picchu Team to trek to an impressive 4,650m.

“My family cannot praise enough the support we received from MND Scotland,” Mhairi says.

“My grandparents had regular support visits, which helped my gran care for my grandpa at home.

“Every aid imaginable was delivered to them, and if it didn’t suit his needs, was taken away and alternative solutions sought.

“And the website helped me a lot, to understand more about my grandpa’s condition.

“I can’t wait for the trek - it’s somewhere I have always wanted to visit. And it’s a chance to raise even more money for MND Scotland.”

Iain McWhirter, Head of Fundraising and Volunteering at MND Scotland, adds: “Trekking to Machu Picchu will be an experience of a lifetime and we are so grateful Mhairi has chosen to support MND Scotland.

“The money will go towards helping us continue to support people affected by the disease in Scotland and fund vital research into finding a cure.

“We have heard many inspiring stories, including Mhairi’s, from our Machu Picchu team this year about why they are taking part.

“We have 30 incredible participants, from across Scotland, raising money to make lives for people affected by MND better.”

You can donate to Mhairi’s Just Giving page here.