Organisers of Peterhead Scottish Week have launched a fundraiser to bring the Red Arrows back next year to celebrate their 60th anniversary.
Peterhead is the only town that formally celebrates Scottish Week every year.
After holding the celebrations entirely online last year due to the pandemic, this year is a mixture of virtual and outdoor events.
Peterhead Scottish Week is currently under way, and the highlight of the week so far has been the Red Arrow performance. Last night (July 21), hundreds turned out to see the little red jets take to the skies above the Blue Toon.
Although this technically should have been the 60th anniversary of Peterhead Scottish Week, the committee decided to postpone the celebrations until next year.
Hopes to bring Red Arrows back
Chairwoman Karen Day explained: “It’s our 59th and a half one because it should actually be our 60th year. We’ve held off because obviously there is going to be lots of nice and big exciting things happening, but it’s not the 60th celebration that we’d hoped for. So, next year will be our 60th instead.”
Plans are already under way to invite the Red Arrows back for another awe-inspiring performance. The group launched a JustGiving page after the performance last night with the hopes to raise £5,000 and at the time of writing they have already received £1,110.
Ms Day explained: “We had to have Covid marshals we didn’t have people out shaking buckets, so therefore we just need to try and recuperate some of the money back to make our 60th a huge year.
“To many people the Red Arrows puts Peterhead on the map, everyone is speaking about Peterhead having the Red Arrows. So, what better way to highlight our 60th year than to have the Red Arrows?
“We’re hoping to have some extra surprises as well, and we were speaking to a flight director about how we can make it even bigger and better for next year.
“We would also like to thank our sponsors of the event Peterhead Port Authority, ASCO and Maritime Developments Limited. Without their generosity the display would not have been possible. ” She added.
If you missed your chance to see the Red Arrows last night, you may be able to catch them as they leave RAF Lossiemouth and jet back to RAF Scampton today (July 22).