The Queen’s Baton Relay advanced into Scotland’s north-eastern county of Aberdeenshire today, as the relay entered its sixteenth day travelling around Scotland. Aberdeenshire is the home to much of Scotland’s fishing industry and a major support location for North Sea oil and gas operations.
The baton roamed the length and breadth of the nation’s fourth largest county and travelled from the wind-swept cliff top Dunnotar Castle in Stonehaven, Banff, Inverurie, Port Elphinstone, Turriff, MacDuff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead.
Athletes running on the day through Aberdeenshire include gifted young GB swimmer Sara Hamilton, who will run in her home town of Stonehaven, as will netball player Claire Brownie in Inverurie. Joining the athletes were a host of remarkable batonbearers nominated by their local communities for their achievements. Like Lynn Cruickshank of Turiff. Lynne has overcome cancer not once but twice and then continued her fight against the disease by organising the biggest first year relay Cancer Research has ever had, raising a whopping £170,000.
Maintaining the high calibre of Aberdeenshire’s relay runners was Doug McIntosh. Doug lost his arm to cancer 17 years ago and refused to let the amputation control his life, instead using the unfortunate loss as a driving force to push his body to the limits becoming the first amputee to cycle round the UK (in just 98 hours) and completing three London Marathons.
The day was brought to a close in Peterhead’s Catto Park by native sharpshooting female athlete Shona Marshall, who raised the baton aloft to the jubilant crowd to mark the end of Day 16.
