A busy week up in the air

The first good weather of spring heralded a busy weekend, with a workload that included flying to the scene of a serious road traffic accident on the A81 near Balfron.

Police Scotland closed the road and SCAA landed in a field just yards from the two-vehicle accident scene where paramedics worked to tend the injured.

Scottish Fire and Rescue crew laid tarpaulins across barbed wire fences to allow a seriously injured passenger from one of the vehicles to be stretchered to the waiting helicopter.

SCAA then made a rapid 10-minute flight to take the casualty to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for advanced care.

A call for an emergency transfer for a cardiac patient saw SCAA head to Rothesay and airlift a woman to Glasgow.

And the crew made the long flight to the other end of the country when they were called to help with a patient on the Orkney Isle of Sanday. SCAA airlifted the patient to hospital in Kirkwall.

The following day it was back to a cardiac emergency in the south when they airlifted a patient from Campbeltown to Glasgow.

Other recent emergencies that saw SCAA take to the air included a fall at a house in Comrie and a sick child in The Borders.

Tayside Branch of the International Police Association enjoyed themselves all in the name of a good cause recently when they raised £1,370 for SCAA at their ceilidh weekend at Kingussie.

This generous donation follows their support from the same event last year.

Thanks also to Pitlochry Station Bookshop who handed in another of their regular £300 donations.

And the generous walkers of The Caterans Hillwalking Group donated £200.

A supporter from Pitlochry sold collectable T-shirts at the recent Scottish Motorcycle Show and raised £40.05. Meanwhile, a Crieff woman was busy making and selling marmalade for the charity, raising £55.

Two Perthshire women staged a Bingo Tea for the cause and donated £1,103.

And thanks also to Crossgate Centre Volunteer Group in Cupar who donated £317 after a recent Coffee Morning.

SCAA staff have been busy emptying a huge number of collecting cans from all over Scotland.

Those placed in Perthshire premises this week include:

A Country Affair, Kinross (£38.40); ABX Beauty Group (£24.55);

Café Tabou, Perth (£67.08);

Castlecroft Securities, Perth (£116.50);

Chiropractic Life, Perth (£49.40);

Country Store, Kinloch Rannoch (£22.70);

Crieff Visitor Centre (£27.53);

Highland Health Store, Perth (£33.14);

Inveralmond Brewery, Perth (£93.29);

Lamb & Gardiner Ltd, Errol (£19.98);

The Last Cast, Bridge of Earn (£23.52); Muirs Inn, Kinross (£50);

P.D. Malloch, Perth (£95.98);

Perthshire Caravans, Errol (£39.47);

The Pet Store, Pitlochry (£15.01);

Pretty Things, Perth and St Andrews (£156.79);

Railway Staff Club, Perth (£50.17);

Spar, Errol (£14.61) and The Tufted Duck, Rait (£46.11).

SCAA’s volunteer speakers are entering their busiest time of year as they travel the country giving presentations.

Local groups hosting a speaker in the coming week include Pitlochry Ladies Club at their supper meeting in Scotland’s Hotel on Wednesday.

A volunteer will also attend Kinross and District Rotary Club’s Monday evening meeting in the Kirklands Hotel to accept a cheque.

Have you been helped by SCAA?

If the charity flew to the aid of you or a loved one, they would love to hear from you.

Share your story by contacting media@scaa.org.