The well-attended event saw families of locals and visitors flock to the village to enjoy the barbecue, games and stalls and watch the spectacle of the raft race which was won by a crew from Lossiemouth.

Meantime, as well as the fun of the organised entertainment, the event also gives the opportunity for local organisations to raise their profile and make a bit of money. Among the other groups benefiting from the day were the local branch of the Royal Naval Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The RNLI, who had a fund-raising stall at the event and were also hoping to raise awareness for their group, had a great day, raising a wad of cash.

Local chairman of the Findhorn, Kinloss and Forres committee, Suzie Slack, said the event was 'heaving' and they were delighted with the amount of support shown, not least the fact that they raised around £850 for the charity at their stall on the day and received other substantial donations.

She said it was a shame that the Invergordon lifeboat didn't get in, but said the weather made it too dangerous for the vessel to dock.

"It tried twice to get over the bar, but it just couldn't get in." she said. "We sent rescue crews to escort it in, but it was too dangerous and had to turn back. If they had got in and then got a shout to a rescue, they wouldn't have been able to get out either. It was very disappointing, but it was just one of those things."

Meantime, despite this disappointment, she said the RNLI had something to celebrate in the shape of a huge financial boost by the Benromach Distillery who handed over a cheque for £10,000.

As if that was not enough, they received another cash boost of £1,000 which was donated by the crew of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper which was sponsored by the Benromach and finished in third position in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race a fortnight ago.

"People asked if we had a good day," said Suzie. "They couldn't believe it when I said we raised nearly £12,000."

The skipper of the vessel, Hannah Jenner who officially opened the Findhorn Fair which is organised by the Findhorn Residents Association, gave the cheque for £1,000 to the RNLI, representing cash donated by the crew, left over from their sponsorship for the yacht race event.

RNLI mascot, Stormy Stan, keeps an eye on proceedings while a cheque for £10,000 is presented to the RNLI by the Benromach Distillery, representing the proceeds of a special bottling done to celebrate the partnership between the distillery and the Glasgow: Scotland with Style Clipper. From left are Benromach directors David and Michael Urquahart, with the skipper of the clipper, Hannah Jenner; Susie Slack, and Ross Mackay from the RNLI local branch.

Meantime, the £10,000 was cash raised from a unique single cask bottling produced to celebrate the race partnership of Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky with the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.

Sales of "Benromach Latitude" which was a series of exclusive single cask bottlings, to mark the yacht race, raised the £10,000 for the RNLI, with £5 from every bottle sold being donated to the charity.

Both Hannah Jenner and Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery manager, signed the labels of all of the bottles in the series. Each bottle also comes with its own certificate endorsed by William Ward, chief executive of Clipper Ventures, Bailie Liz Cameron, vice-chair of Glasgow Marketing Bureau and Keith Cruickshank.

David Urquhart, director at Gordon and MacPhail, proprietors of Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky said they were delighted to be able to donate the cash to such a worthy cause.

"This unique series of bottlings was produced to celebrate our involvement with the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper," he said. The success of the product has been phenomenal and we are delighted that we can now go on to present the RNLI with a cheque for £10,000."

It's not too late for those who missed out, as people can now bid online for one of the Latitude 57 bottlings which was personally signed by skipper Hannah Jenner and is up for auction to raise more cash for the RNLI. Anyone wishing to bid on the auction can visit www.rnli.org.uk/scotland.

The Benromach Distillery in Forres is a four star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.

t.mclaren@forres-gazette.co.uk

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