Royal Deeside Drive to raise funds for RSABI

A re-enactment of the golden age of coaching in Royal Deeside will raise vital funds for rural charity RSABI.

For the Royal Deeside Drive, a coach pulled by teams of four horses will make the journey from Braemar to the Duthie Park in Aberdeen on 21 and 22 August. Members of the public will have the opportunity to buy tickets to enjoy the splendours of travelling by coach and horses in the leisurely style of a bygone age.

Coaching enthusiast and former NFU Scotland secretary for Deeside, Ewan MacInnes is organising the fundraiser for RSABI.

He said: "We will be able to accommodate eight passengers for each of the eight stages of the journey which means 64 people will have the opportunity of enjoying a ride on the coach. It will be a fun outing and I hope those taking part will treat it as such and dress up in the style of the era."

RSABI development officer, Melissa Irvine, said:

"It’s such a unique and fantastic way to help raise essential funds for RSABI. We rely on the generosity of our supporters - individuals, businesses and trusts - in order to ensure that we can continue to provide effective relief to those in need.

"We provide easily accessible, timely, confidential, financial assistance, advice and support to improve the lives of individuals and their dependants, where these individuals rely or have relied, upon land-based employment in Scotland and through age, injury, illness or misfortune now experience hardship."

Each stage of the re-enactment of the Deeside service will cover four to nine miles and there will be stops at Crathie, Ballater, Dinnet and Aboyne on the first day and Potarch, Banchory, Mains of Drum and Duthie Park on the second day. Horses will be changed at the end of each stage.

Anyone wishing to book a seat for a stage on the Royal Deeside drive should visit www.marycultercarriages.co.uk for a timetable, booking form and details of each stage.

RSABI provide regular financial support to hundreds of low income households throughout Scotland and one-off grants are awarded to people to pay for household expenses in times of crisis. Grants go towards the cost of essential items that people are unable to afford themselves and, in certain circumstances, pay for business guidance and skills training/accreditation where this can alleviate hardship.

The charity also gives advice on benefits, signposts to other sources of help and provides support through key life events such as bereavement, serious illness, redundancy and retirement.

You can find out more on the RSABI website.