The Edinburgh Festival is a good time to raise money for a good cause. The city is thronging with visitors with money to spend. Those in Rose Street were given a little extra entertainment when Edinburgh’s Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band joined forces with The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, Canada’s oldest Civilian Band, to raise funds for Royal Blind.
The money raised will buy GPS units
PIC © Sandy Young
According to Craig Shepherd, a drummer with the Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band and IT manager at the Brewery, “it was a fantastic atmosphere marching along Rose Street to St Andrew Square with The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band and even better knowing that we have raised cash for a good cause! The pubs in Edinburgh, particularly along Rose Street, are always very busy during Festival time, so it was brilliant to be able to provide some entertainment, whilst tourists and locals enjoyed their pint of Deuchars, soaking up the atmosphere. We hope they enjoyed listening as much as we did playing!”
The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band were visiting Edinburgh for the World Pipe Band Championships, which took place last weekend. The band includes traditional Highland dancers, who were also part of the Rose Street march. One of its members, Bethany Bisaillion, said they were “honoured to have been on parade with their friends in the Caledonian Brewery Band. Hot off the heels of a triumphant run at the World Pipe Band Championships and a performance at Balmoral Castle for Her Majesty The Queen, we are so happy to end our run in Scotland with this parade.”
Fundraisers from Royal Blind were on hand to help encourage donations throughout the march. In total, some £225 was raised which will buy 2 GPS systems for visually impaired people supported by Royal Blind. Davina Shiell, the charity’s marketing and fundraising manager, pointed out that the Caledonian Brewery was one of its biggest corporate supporters. “The Brewery’s ongoing support,” she explained, “enables us to provide vital services for visually impaired and disabled people of all ages. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for helping Royal Blind to make a real difference to the lives of people we support.”