Hundreds take to the banks of the Spey for Kiltwalk 2014

Kiltwalkers take to the sun (David Main)

Hundreds of participants and their supporters took to the late summer sunshine on Sunday and helped to raise thousands of pounds for various charities in the Speyside Kiltwalk.

The official partner for the 2014 walk – which easily broke the record 750 participants that had taken part last year – was the Aila Coull Foundation.

Set up in memory of 16-month old Aila Coull, money raised for the foundation is used to help fund research into childhood Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, which is a rare form of childhood leukaemia.

Taking part in the walk this year was two five-year-olds from Moray, Isla Simpson and Holly Myrvang-Brown, who along with around 30 supporters were making the walk on behalf of Logan’s Fund, the local charity set up in memory of Logan Main who was just three when he died as a result of Neuroblastoma.

Those taking part in the full Speyside Kiltwalk event set out from Buckie before heading along the River Spey before eventually reaching Aberlour. The walk was over three distances – the full 26miles, a ‘half walk’ of 16miles and the ‘Speyside Wee Walk’ undertaken by Isla and Holly that was over 6miles.

Isla Simpson’s mother Sam said that it was the third Kiltwalk the youngster had undertaken. Isla was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at just five months old – she went into remission in February this year.

Mrs Simpson said: “We had always wanted to give something back to a charity that helped us so much with a special family holiday.

“We also wanted to support the legacy that Logan left and show support to his very special parents who help others when it cannot be easy to do.”

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