Dawdling Inveraray ducks create a splash
THERE was to be no ducking it – this year’s Inveraray Duck Derby required all the ingenuity local British Legion members could muster.
In contrast to last year’s race, which was over in a flash in raging torrents, this was an altogether more sedate affair. Low water levels in the River Aray combined with a mischievous light breeze to cause havoc.
The 500 yellow plastic waterfowl set off briskly enough, fairly skipping down a weir at the Maltlands. But then the rapids ran out and they were becalmed. And that was when the breeze caused the dawdling ducks to defy the laws of nature and drift back upstream – much to the horror of duck wranglers Ian Lindsay, Robert Wilson and Alastair Rodden.
The brave boys took to the water to splash, push and chuck the ducks downstream, but back they came, thwarting every effort as the crowds waited expectantly at the Maltlands bridge.
Back at the start of the race, the wranglers, helped by Robert McCulloch, decided a rope was needed to drive down the ducks, but that didn’t work. An otter was spotted, playing among the yellow multitude – but, sadly, the creature turned out to be Ian Lindsay doing the backstroke.
The finishing line of plastic pipe was commandeered to push the contrary competitors to a point where they would take off downriver once more – at which point the finishing line was rapidly reinstated to welcome the winners.
The 20 minutes of cold water swimming from Ian, Robert and Alastair was worth it in the end, when number 42 romped home in first place, closely fol- lowed by numbers 494 and 109.
The owner of 42 was Orla Mochrie, who scooped the £50 first prize. Second was Inveraray and District Royal British Legion branch president Jim Martin – with Jim’s wife Sue winning the third prize. Waddling home at the tail end of the race was Alec Briggs’s duck, winning him £10.
The event, a fundraiser for the local branch of the Royal British Legion, was held by kind permission of Argyll Estates.