Petrolheads turned out in droves for a popular north-east exhibition of vintage and classic vehicles on the banks of the River Dee yesterday.
Crathes’ Vintage Car and Motorcycle Rally attracted a record 350 machines with the fine summer weather helping to generate a huge number of visitors and entries.
Vehicles from the vintage era, pre-vintage and five collector’s classes from the 1940s to the present day rolled up at Milton of Crathes.
This latest show marked the 20th year of the rally, and the beneficiaries of the fundraising effort were those people striving to make the Banchory Sports Village an iconic Deeside site.
Councillors backed outline proposals for the facility last October.
However, the Banchory Sports Village Trust has been tasked by Aberdeenshire Council with raising £700,000 towards it, and have so far amassed £585,000.
Event chairman Harry McNab was delighted with the success of the latest Crathes event.
He said: “It has been a bumper year for the rally which will enable us to make a substantial donation to our main charity, the proposed Banchory Sports Village.
“We had a fantastic show of 350 vintage, classic and collectors’ cars and motorcycles and visitors were streaming in all day.
“It was a wonderful family day out. We estimate the attendance must have been more than 5000.”
Repeating his success at the first Crathes rally 20 years ago was retired Aberdeen solicitor, George Alpine, who won the overall championship with his 1967 Mercedes 250SL Pagoda.
A number of car owners were also invited to join a road run from Crathes to Raemoir, Torphins, Inchmarlo and Banchory as part of the distinctive festival.
Traditional tunes were also provided by the Banchory Pipe Band, whilst streams of visitors enjoyed other attractions such as sideshows, stalls and tombola.
