David ploughs his own furrow, raising vital cash for cancer charity
A PERTHSHIRE farmer rolled into Argyll and Bute last week as part of a major fundraising initiative.
David McLaren, 78, from Blackford, is chugging 1,600 miles around the coast of Scotland in his Fordson Dexta 1960 tractor to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Friends of St Margaret’s Hospital in Auchterarder.
He arrived in Oban on Friday having travelled up from Campbeltown and met members of Oban’s Cancer Research UK (CRUK) committee.
The retired farmer decided to attempt the challenge in memory of his wife Elizabeth, who died of cancer in 2014.
This is not the first time David has supported CRUK and the hospital in Auchterarder.
In 2003, wearing his kilt the whole way, David and Elizabeth drove the same Fordson Dexta tractor from Land’s End to John O’Groats and raised more than £14,500.
David said: ‘ I’m doing it in memory of Elizabeth. Four months after the last trip in 2003 we discovered Elizabeth had kidney cancer. That run was a fantastic experience and we made a lot of friends.
‘This time I’d like to stay closer to home and explore the amazing coast of Scotland while raising vital funds for these two charities.’
He set off on Saturday July 2 and expects to finish around July 20.
Anyone can sponsor his fundraising efforts by donating to Sponsored Run Around Scotland at Bank of Scotland 80-2260, Account Number 14359061.
Dorothy Rodger, from Cancer Research UK, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted that David has decided to attempt such a huge challenge to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK. He has put an enormous amount of time and effort into organising this trip and I hope everyone will be inspired to support him through donations and by cheering him on along the route. Cancer Research UK is entirely funded by voluntary donations and we could not make progress without the ongoing support of people such as David.’