A Scottish gardener has been left with awful second-degree burns after working outside in the heatwave.
Greg Binnie, from Edinburgh, spent seven hours working in the intense heat in Dumfries on Saturday (June 17) and then again on Sunday (June 18) cutting grass and watering plants.
The 20-year-old, who didn’t realise how strong the sun was and didn’t apply sun cream, only realised the extent of the damage on Sunday night when his shoulders started blistering.
The fair-skinned gardener, who was working overtime to pay for a lad’s holiday in Ibiza this summer, has been bedbound ever since and signed off work until Thursday (June 22).
Binnie said: “I did notice that I was feeling incredibly hot on the Saturday but I just put this down to me cutting the grass.
“I first realised the severity of it on the Sunday night when I got home from work, as it had blistered up massively.”
He said the areas worst affected are his neck and shoulders.
“As I am incredibly fair skinned I do find myself quite sensitive to the sun,” he continued.
“My mum and dad were shocked as they couldn’t believe how it had turned out.
“I have been to the local pharmacy who advised me to keep using Sudocrem and Aloe Vera spray, although I have started to use natural yogurt to treat it as a lot of people online recommended this and I’m already seeing a difference.
“It is incredibly painful, especially for basic things such as moving my arms and lying down. I’ve been trying to sleep on my front but not having much luck.”
The gardener issued a warning to others not to be “naive” and to take care when out in the sun.
“I only just got back from a month in Australia and used sun cream every day,” he said.
“Because I am now back in Scotland I just assumed I’d be fine without it, as the weather in Scotland isn’t usually too great.
“This just goes to show you can burn anywhere at any time, so taking precautions will be worth it.
“I am going to Ibiza at the end of August with my pals, which is why I was doing overtime working Saturday and Sunday at the weekend.
“I will absolutely be more cautious from now on. Yes I have been sunburnt in the past, but never to this extent.
“I’ve definitely learnt my lesson.”