Classic cars take to Angus roads for Strathmore event.

Drivers set off from Forfar on 140-mile run before returning to Glamis Castle, to raise money for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance

Gleaming chrome shone in the sun in a sun-kissed third annual Strathmore Classic Car Tour.

Forfar Rotary Club established the event as a means of supporting Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) and the lifesaving Scone-based service looks set for another major boost following a turnout of almost 60 stunning vehicles.

They set off from Forfar’s Greens car park on a 140-mile tour which took participants to Kirriemuir, Lintrathen and Kirkmichael for a lunch halt at Pitlochry’s Atholl Palace Hotel.

With drivers and navigators re-fuelled, the convoy then headed to Killiecrankie and Aberfeldy before returning via Dunkeld, Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus to the traditional finish point in the spectacular setting of Glamis Castle.

Participants provide charitable sponsorship of at least £50 per vehicle and the club paid tribute to main sponsors Guild Homes and Fisken Motor Group for their continued backing of the event.

Supporting SCAA has particular significance for the Forfar club after Rotarian Andrew Renwick was airlifted from a Perthshire hillside by the emergency helicopter in 2015 following a freak, off-road motorcycling accident in which he broke his back.

Rotarian Alan Cairns said: “We have varied the route in each of the three years since we started the tour, which is open to all vintage and classic cars and modern sports cars.”

The fleet of beauties was led off by Forfar man David Robertson in his 1930 Rolls-royce Phantom II Tourer, a one-time hearse which has covered tens of thousands of international touring miles without a hiccup. As well as enthusiasts from throughout Angus, the field also included tour regulars from Glasgow and Greenock, with Ferrari, Bentley, Jaguar, Morgan, MG, Mini and Lotus among the marques represented.

One late Stenhousemuir entrant managed to squeeze on to the entry list with his Lotus Exige after contacting the organisers late on Saturday night to see if there was a spare slot in the sunshine tour.

Although purely a fun event aimed at supporting SCAA, the Glamis Castle finale included the presentation of a series of special awards, including those for the most sponsorship gathered and the winners of a quiz tackled by crews along the route.

“We have varied the route in each of the three years since we started the tour ... ALAN CAIRNS