A CAIRNEYHILL man has raised more than £1,000 in a West Fife Kiltwalk for Scottish Autism – a charity close to his heart.

Normally, thousands of people join in Kiltwalk events in cities across the country, but, this year, participants were asked to take on their own 'virtual' challenges and Lee was determined to showcase the best of West Fife.

He told the Press: "It's the first fundraising I've done and the money will be topped up by Kiltwalk so I think Scottish Autism should benefit from around £1,300.

"I can very closely relate to the service users that work with Scottish Autism and that was the real reason I wanted to raise the money.

"The charity runs a school in Alloa as well as outreach programmes that help those with autism as well as their families.

"All of these things need money to keep them going.

"I actually wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid-20s; I was seeing a counsellor for social anxiety and when I went for a second opinion it was brought up.

"So my diagnosis came by accident really.

"Now there are thousands of children that are investigated for autism conditions from a much earlier age.

"When you're at school, you learn social skills that progress you later in life and that was always very difficult for me. It had a severe social impact on myself.

"But the work that Scottish Autism does helps young people get a grasp of their condition and it gives them a platform for later in life."

It took Lee, who works for the emergency services, six hours to complete the 18-mile trek that started from his home in Cairneyhill and went through Shiresmill to Culross and then across to Limekilns.

"It was a multi-faceted challenge as I wanted to showcase West Fife too and I did a number of video diaries for that," Lee added.

"I've also turned 40 so it was a milestone I wanted to mark and do something a bit different!

"Asperger's has held me back in some aspects but I try and think of the positives and focus on what I can do instead.

"I've had long-term employment for 13 years and I'm married.

"If it had been left undiagnosed it would have been a consistent struggle and this is why it's so important for Scottish Autism to have the support out there."