Aster, a 5-year-old Hungarian hunting dog, will be taking the lead on a challenging coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland for charity – in less than 24 hours.The short-haired gun dog, a veteran of scores of big hill walks, will be accompanied by four human companions in an effort to raise at least  £25,000 for the Five Stars Scanner Appeal to help sick children at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. She will dip her paw in the North Sea at Beauly before setting off for a walk to Scotland’s Atlantic coast on Loch Duich. Aster will be accompanied by former British and Commonwealth heavyweight boxing champion Scott Welch, her regular walking companion former BBC Environment Correspondent and media consultant Alistair Macdonald, financial advisor and broadcaster Austin Hutchinson, and IT manager Chris Robinson.  The total journey consists of 30 miles cycling followed by 30 miles walking, including 4 peaks of more than 3,000ft.  Aster, a Hungarian vizla, said through an interpreter: ‘This is not exactly a pedigree team but they’re not a bunch of pussycats either.  Of course, I will be leading from the front (though not on a bicycle, thank you!) and they should be OK provided we’re not dogged by bad weather.’  

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