Some, though, have kept on walking. To date, 86 climbers have gone on to complete a second circuit, while 30 have achieved their goal of reaching every Munro summit three times.

For one extraordinary Munro-bagger there appears to be no end to the pursuit of our nation’s most famous list ofmountains. Having set an all-time record of 11 rounds in 2003, self-confessed Munro addict Steven Fallon last year finished his 13th round and is now just 40 summits short of a 14th.

Describing his Munro walking as “a rewarding hobby”, Fallon, 45, admits he has become a little obsessed over the years.

“ But it’s just something I love doing,” he says. “I can’t ever see myself stopping. Why would I when these mountains are so wonderful?”

Fallon, an IT systems developer, first contemplated climbing every Munro after receiving a guide as a Christmas present from his parents in 1988. The book was Munro’s Tables, the official list of mountains in Scotland known to be “of at least 3000ft high”, which was first recorded by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891.

Fallon, of Edinburgh, says he was instantly fascinated by the statistics. “Looking through the list for the first time I was amazed at the sheer number and geographical spread of Munros,” he explains. “I started to notice, too, that I’d already climbed a few. Coming from a family that walked, I suppose this was no surprise, but it did give me a good start for a first round. “In 1975, aged 11, I’d climbed Ben More near Crianlarich, which turned out to be my first ever Munro. Then I just thought, ‘well, if I’ve already ticked off a few why don’t I get out there and do the rest.“’ His mission began in the spring of 1989 with Ben Chonzie, near Crieff in Perthshire. By 1992, Fallon had made his first "compleation" (the archaic spelling used to describe a completed round of Munros) with an ascent of Fionn Bheinn, near Achnasheen. Keen to revisit some of his favourites, Fallon quickly found he had notched up the first 50 Munros of a second round and by 1994 had finished another complete round, this time making his last climb on Sgurr nan Gillean, on Skye.

Over the next decade, the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC), which keeps a record of Munro compleatists, reveals that Fallon walked a round a year, and by July 2006 he had completed 13.

It would appear that Munro bagging does push some walkers to take on some surprising challenges. The SMC list includes 23 walkers who have completed a non-stop, car-free round, walking or cycling between each Munro.

In 1974, Brown became the first to walk a non-stop Munro tour, covering 1639 miles and climbing a total of 449,000 ft in 112 days. He also claims a “calendar round” (walking a different Munro every day of the year) and was the owner of the first dog to walk a Munro round.

Other notable compleatists include Kathy Murgatroyd, who in 1982 became the first woman to complete a continuous round. Steve Perry braved the ice and snow to become the first Munro-bagger to complete a non-stop round in winter; he was also the first to have walked a continuous double round. The speed record is currently held by Charlie Campbell, who managed a round in just 48 days. While Fallon acknowledges every one of these achievements with a smile, he says his Munro-bagging is a far simpler pleasure. “I like walking mountains, and I like walking Munros in particular. Sometimes I go with friends and sometimes I go alone, but every time is rewarding.