Classic car tour delivers sky-high boost for SCAA

Rotary club event raises nearly £18,000 for air ambulance

The soaraway success of a new Angus automotive event has landed a massive boost for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

Forfar Rotary Club members wheeled up to the life-saving organisation’s Perth Airport base bearing a £17,803 donation – the proceeds of the inaugural Strathmore Classic Car Tour which took motoring enthusiasts on a spectacular journey around the county in June.

Rotarians had hoped to hit a £6,000 target from the new venture, but smashed through that barrier after attracting a full-house entry of more than 60 stunning vehicles for the 120-mile journey through Angus towns and villages.

Setting off from Forfar, the convoy – featuring famous marques including everything from Porsche, Ferrari and Rolls Royce to the mighty Mini – enjoyed glorious weather for a lunch stop in Glen Clova before taking the chequered flag at the Glamis Castle finishing point.

With the event already scheduled for next year and hopes high that it will once again be a major success, Rotarians said they were delighted the support of main sponsor, the Fisken Motor Group and the many enthusiasts from Angus, Tayside and the north east had delivered the sky-high total way beyond their expectations.

The club had been keen to choose a deserving cause close to home, but SCAA had particular resonance for Rotarian Andrew Renwick of the event committee after experiencing first-hand the vital role of the emergency helicopter last year.

Andrew broke a vertebrae in an off-road motorcycle accident in the hills above Alyth and was airlifted to hospital before spending more than three weeks there as part of a long recovery from the serious injury.

“The helicopter which we saw was different from the one which took me to hospital but it was very interesting for us to have a look around the operations room and see how SCAA deal with emergencies from around Scotland,” said Andrew.

“People said the tour was a superb day and the final total was absolutely staggering.

“We learned one or two things, as you always do with a new event, but many were keen to re-book and we are looking forward to next year,” he added.

Picture: Phil Hannah. From left: Colin Muir, Andrew Renwick, SCAA trustee Joyce Leslie, Alan Cairns, SCAA chief executive David Craig, Vivien Fisken, Ian Fisken, Sandy Ogilvie, and pilot Paul Cakebread.