A thrifty London geography teacher went to extraordinary lengths to collect air miles on what could have been a simple short-haul flight to Aberdeen.
James Mutton, 31, spent two days jetting via five airports to complete a journey that normally takes an hour and a half.
After setting off from London Gatwick, he stopped in Jersey, Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Glasgow and Shetland before finally reaching his destination.
Mr Mutton told Scotland's Sunday Post newspaper: "I was heading to Scotland to visit a friend in St Andrews.
"But rather than going straight there I flew from Gatwick to Jersey and back, out to Amsterdam then back to Heathrow, then up to Glasgow, Glasgow to Shetland and finally Shetland to Aberdeen!
"The trip was fun, although part of the enjoyment for me is in the planning of it.
"A lot of people ask why I do it. But I wouldn't do it if I didn't get something from it."
He added that the arduous slog last month was worth it for the air miles he was able to pick up in the process, and which he and his wife Emma have used in recent years to pay for trips he estimates would otherwise have cost about £25,000.
Mr Mutton, who blogs about his odd hobby at www.misterairmiles.com, believes more people should take advantage of the system.
He said: “It's free money - everyone should do it!
“You can get air miles from flying or through credit cards or Tesco Clubcards and once you've got 9,000 that'll get you a return flight within Europe.”
