More than £6m raised for charities over 40 years of Highland Cross
The 40th staging of the Highland Cross has seen the fundraising total from the event exceed £6 million after another record figure was raised.
More than 100 invited guests gathered in Inverness on Thursday evening to hear the overall sum of the fundraising efforts from competitors in the annual challenge.
The event sees hundred of participants make their way on foot and by bike from Morvich at Kintail to Beauly, nearly 50 miles coast to coast through Glen Affric and Strathglass.
Teams of three are asked to raise a minimum of £500 for local good causes but this year each team raised an average of more than £1400, which organisers described as “an excellent figure in these challenging times”.
The record total raised in 2024 was £368,295.
The four main benefitting charities, which each picked up a new vehicle at the handover night at Hawco’s VW Showroom in Harbour Road, were Cantraybridge College, Highland BlindCraft, Highland Disability Sport and L’Arche Highland.
John Fraser, treasurer for the Highland Cross, said: “The total amount raised by competitors this year exceeds the previous record figure of £329,378 raised in 2023 by nearly £40,000.
“Over the 40 years, Highland Cross has now collected and distributed to Highland charities over £6.3 million. Huge thanks are due to all the competitors and their supporting families, friends and sponsors for accumulating such a super figure.”
The top fundraising team this year, from the Edinburgh-based investment management firm Baillie Gifford and Dell Technologies, raised £26,229. Their achievement was recognised with a special award, while the fundraising award for a standard three-person team went to a team called Heathers Heroes comprising Ryan Magennis, Donal Bolger and Mike Roberts, who raised £7520.
Mr Fraser added: “Highland Cross’s philosophy continues to be that of ensuring that every penny of sponsorship funds goes to Highland charities as the running costs of the event are met entirely by entry fees, company sponsors and volunteers.”
In addition to the primary charities, a number of smaller grants will also be distributed to charities across the region over the next month.
Calum Munro, organising secretary and co-founder of the Highland Cross, said: “With the 40th staging of Highland Cross brought to this amazing conclusion we are now well into the planning for the 41st Highland Cross on June 21, 2025!
“Heading towards half 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.
“The application list for participants in the 2025 event is already closed due to being oversubscribed.
“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 our 41st staging of the event.”
