Grantown keeps on trucking!
It was a glorious day for the return of the big vehicles to the Strathspey capital.
A total of 144 magnificent machines turned up for the big parade through the centre of Grantown as the charity extravanza Truck in2Grantown returned – but as it turned out they were not asked to drive along the main street, following hassles over the necessary paperwork.
"Despite all the hassles with licences, insurance and paperwork it's a worth it all to see a day like this," said organiser Martin Grant, "but we had to draw the line this year with the parade, which was unfortunate.
"The council wanted us to take out a separate licence for that, plus insurance etc. We would have had to have safety crews on duty at four different junctions along the way and there jusn't enough time or money to go through all those hoops.
"The conditions were perfect for the day though, with glorious sunshine and blue skies, and we're hoping to raise a considerable amount of money for a variety of charities."
A loyal team of volunteers helped Mr Grant ensure that the day went with any major hitches. Families basked in the sun and listened live music while shopping at a wide variety of stalls.
New trucks, old trucks, working trucks, show trucks and enormous cranes were the stars of the show but the event simply allowed the community to network again and the atmosphere was as sunny as the skies.
It's not known yet just how much the event raised for charities but Mr Grant confirmed it was the biggest of the festivals so far and had survived the Covid shutdowns very successfully.