Hundreds of walkers took in Aberdeen’s culture last night while raising vital funds for charity.
Maggie’s inaugural Culture Crawl took fundraisers on a 10-mile tour of the Granite City, stopping off at some top attractions along the way.
And not only did the 400-plus participants get the chance to see inside the buildings after-hours, they also got to enjoy some entertainment to rally them through the miles.
The route was kept top secret until the walkers arrived at the Maggie’s Centre on Westburn Road, where they were issued with a map outlining the stops – and surprises – in store.
As they set off from the centre, the group were put in the party spirit with a performance by The Purple Aardvark Project.
Later, they enjoyed music from St Machar’s Cathedral choir as they took in the church, before moving on to Transition Extreme for a barbecue.
Artist Shelagh Swanson opened up her private studio in Footdee for another stop, before historian Fiona-Jane Brown shared stories of crime and punishment at the Society of Advocates building behind the sheriff court.
And in a more cheerful stop, fundraisers – who are on track to raise more than £30,000 for Maggie’s Aberdeen – were treated to a colourful aerial, pole and acrobatic display in the iconic Marischal College quad.
The one-off show by Inverted: Circus Pole and Fitness reinvigorated the group as they made their way to the Syed Shah Mosque on Crown Street, Trinity Hall – home of the city’s Seven Incorporated Trades – and the finish line at Duthie Park’s Winter Gardens.
Paula Cormack, fundraising manager at Maggie’s Aberdeen, said: “We have been absolutely blown away by the response to Culture Crawl.
“The event has really captured the imagination and with over £30,000 raised before the walkers even left Maggie’s it is a real testament to the charitable nature and generosity of people in the north-east.
“The atmosphere was absolutely incredible – there was a real buzz from start to finish.”
All money raised from the crawl will go directly to supporting the Maggie’s Aberdeen Centre, which needs more than £400,000 per year to remain operational.