Highland Cross has been fundraising for 37 years.
A tiny fundraising charity has celebrated handing over £5.3 million to good causes in the Highlands.
Highland Cross holds annual 50-mile duathlon events in Glen Affric and the surrounding area, with all monies raised going to charities that support people with health or social problems in the north of Scotland.
The charity handed over this year’s total donations of £286,121 – its second-highest ever total - at an event in Inverness on Wednesday.
Birchwood Highland, Cantraybridge College, New Start Highland, Puffin Hydrotherapy Pool and SNAP (Special Needs Action Project) Inverness are the main beneficiaries, with the money being used for new vehicles and property refurbishments.
Additionally, smaller grants totalling £56,000 will be distributed to charities across the Highlands over the next month.
Calum Munro, organising secretary and co-founder of Highland Cross, said: “With the 37th staging of Highland Cross brought to this amazing conclusion we are now well into the planning for the 38th Highland Cross on 20th June 2020.
“Over a third of a century of service to Highland communities is something that the wonderful team of volunteers, sponsors and supporting organisations can be justly proud of. Some of our supporters have been with us since the start and in some cases the children and grandchildren of original supporters are now volunteers on the Cross.
“Highland Cross exists to raise money for medical and social causes in the north of Scotland and with the continued efforts of the fantastic community of sponsors, volunteers and supportive organisations that creates the Highland Cross, we look forward to supporting yet more hardworking causes in 2020.“
John Fraser, the charity’s treasurer, praised those who took part in this year’s event.
He added: “The total raised by competitors this year of £286,121 has amazed us. Over the 37 years Highland Cross has now given charities over £5.3m.
“Across the board the average raised by teams was over £1,000 and the appreciation shown by fundraisers of the support given to them during the event by volunteers and the Highland community was immense.”
