A pensioner travelled the equivalent of more than twice round the world for dialysis treatment – and never left Scotland.

Mary McKay had to make a 230-mile round trip from her home to hospital three times a week for two years, the Daily Record reports.

There was no dialysis unit in Argyll so she was forced to travel from Campbeltown to the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire.

Mary clocked up a total of 66,932 road miles - but the Earth’s circumference is only 25,000.

The 75-year-old left home at 8.30am for the hospital journey and didn’t get back until 8pm.

"I have never been abroad," Mary said. "But when the miles are added up for my dialysis treatment, I have been round the world twice.”

Getty Long Journey: Mary went around the equivalent of the world twice - but has never been abroad

Having travelled to and from the Vale of Leven for 17-and-a-half months – and even further to Glasgow for earlier dialysis sessions – Mary said it’s an ordeal no one should have to endure.

“It was horrendous," she added. "I was tired all the time.”

Mary’s life turned around last week when a new dialysis unit opened in Campbeltown.

It follows a community-led campaign that raised more than £100,000 in a year.

Mary said: “It’s only two or three minutes for me to get there now. It’s great. I have got my life back.”

Donald Kelly, of the Kintyre Dialysis Campaign Group, said: “Kidney patients from this area were travelling further than in any other part of Scotland for treatment.”

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