The Ultimate Challenge began life in 1980, brainchild of Hamish Brown, who is probably better known for being the first person to complete all the Munros in one continuous ‘round’ in 1974. The Challenge is an annual, self supported hike across Scotland, by any route chosen by the participants. It was originally supported by Ultimate Equipment Ltd. in conjunction with The Great Outdoors magazine. The name has been changed a few times over the years and in 2018 it’s known as The Great Outdoors Challenge. The link with the magazine has remained throughout and the format has stayed the same. Loyal to his own creation, Hamish Brown completed the first ten crossings, as they are called, and as a result was presented with the glass bowl which we have here in the collection, kindly donated by Hamish in 2017. The problem now is whether we fill it with fruit and put it on the sideboard or stash it in a box for posterity!!