The parents of a Moray teenager who was killed in a crash are to pay tribute to him by funding specialist equipment that could save lives on the road.
Gordon and Sandra McKandie were left heartbroken when their 16-year-old son Keiran was struck by a car while mountain biking on the outskirts of Elgin.
On what would have been the weekend of the youngster’s 17th birthday next month, they are staging a fundraiser to keep his memory alive.
In March Keiran’s bike was struck by a car on the B9010 Dallas to Kellas road, near Craigend.
Paramedics took nearly half an hour to reach him – nearly four times the Grampian average for emergencies.
His parents have now launched a crusade to buy defibrillators for each of the three roads traffic policing vehicles that cover the Elgin area.
Mr McKandie said: “They cost £1,400 each so we want to get as much money as possible.
“If we can be successful with that in Moray, we’d like to spread our campaign further afield.
“Even if that can help save one life, it will be worth it.”
The couple said that the outgoing youngster “lived, breathed, slept and dreamt about downhill mountain biking”.
And his parents hope to honour his passion for the pursuit by creating a downhill track in his honour near their rural home.
As a devotee of all things associated with mountain biking, Keiran had helped create a number of tracks around the region’s hills.
Mr McKandie said that his friends had expressed an interest in helping to forge a biking trail in his memory.
He added: “I’m talking with the Forestry Commission about that, and we’re trying to get things into place.
“Keiran made trails himself and his friends see that as a very appropriate tribute.”
Keiran would have been 17 on Thursday, June 23, and the family will host a fundraising auction and barbecue at Miltonduff Hall on Saturday, June 25.
The event will run from 6pm, with an auction from 7.30pm, and people are invited to bring along their own refreshments.
Framed pictures, spa treatments and bottles of whisky will all be sold to generate money.
Well-wishers who are unable to attend in person can make donations online by searching for “Keiran McKandie” on the JustGiving website.
