The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Blairgowrie hosts one of Scotland’s largest classic car gatherings.
Social fun run has a serious side as children’s charities benefit from event
The arrival of dozens of stunning vehicles made for a fine sight on the roads of Perthshire at the weekend as Blairgowrie played host to one of Scotland’s largest classic car gatherings.
Drive it Day celebrates a 1000-mile run from London to northern Scotland and back undertaken more than 110 years ago.
Where several hundred cars once set out to prove the reliability – and the potential – of the then-new motor car, a smaller group of drivers now enjoy a social run in the spirit of fun.
After a decade of organising the tour, Strathendrick Rotary Club passed on the baton for the 2017 event to Blairgowrie Rotary Club.
Members have taken the responsibility very seriously as Drive it Day has raised thousands of pounds for charities over the past 10 years.
The Children’s Hospice Association Scotland and Cancer Research UK will be among the beneficiaries from this year’s event and the hope is that when all the money is counted, the 2017 event will have raised more than £15,000.
A historic Jaguar XK120 was the focus of attention for two days as it was showcased around the town.
On Sunday, however, it was joined by a cavalcade of classic cars, dating from 1918 to the modern day.
Owners came from all over Scotland and Northern England to participate in a 115-mile fundraising drive.
The Rotary Club had arranged a stunning day out featuring some of the finest scenery Perthshire has to offer and refreshments at two of the best hotels.
Drivers set out from Blairgowrie Golf Club before taking the A93 Glenshee Road en-route to Pitlochry and Crieff, where there were stops at the Fonab Hotel and Crieff Hydro.