Charles (100) is used to hitting headlines

Charles Harris celebrated his centenary year hosting a champagne party at his home with 40 friends and family members.

A keen hillwalker, Charles made the pages of the Herald back in 2006 when at the age of 87, he and his 73-year-old walking partner had to be plucked from a steep mountain slope by helicopter when they got into difficulties on Ben A’an near Loch Katrine.

Fallen trees had made their route down impassable.

Charles said at the time: “We only had about 100ft left to go to the road. But it was impassable with fallen trees, moss covered ruts and a very steep descent.”

They knew a search party was out looking for them when they spotted a flare in the sky and they stayed put.

David Dodson, team leader of Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, praised Charles at the time for doing all the right things in a difficult situation.

Born in Ebbwvale Wales, Charles moved to London to train as an engineer, rising to become a regional engineer for Grampian and North East Scotland Health Board.

Retiring from a similar post in Glasgow at 65, he decided retirement was not for him and retrained as a Financial Advisor at the age of 65, finally retiring at 85!

Through out his life, until very recently, Charles enjoyed an active lifestyle, partaking in cycling – in his youth he was a keen cycle racer, skiing, hillwalking, marathon running, well into his seventies, and golf.

When asked what the secret to a long life is, he says ‘wine, women and song.’