Santa will be making an early appearance in Inverness over the next couple of weeks when a popular community event returns.
Inverness Culloden Rotary Club has announced the dates and routes for its Santa Sleigh Run, which has so far raised more than £10,000 for good causes.
The sleigh run was first launched during Covid, with volunteers determined not to let the pandemic spoil the festive fun.
Organiser Derek McRae is looking forward to the sleigh run getting started, and said the response so far has been “phenomenal”.
This year, three teams of volunteers will brave the cold winter nights to venture out and spread some joy this Christmas.
Mr Rae encouraged people to turn out and said: “With all the austerity and the energy prices going up, it will be really interesting to see how much we raise. A big part of it is bringing Santa out to the kids because Inverness city isn’t doing any light switch-on this year which is a shame.”
Where you can see Santa’s sleigh
The sleigh runs will run from 5pm-7.20pm each evening, weather and traffic allowing.
Thursday, December 1 – Wellside and Balloch
- 5pm: Wellside Gardens and Wellside Avenue
- 5.20pm: Wellside Road and Place Junction
- 5.40pm: Balloch Shop
- 5.55pm: Braeside Park and Meadow Road
- 6.10pm to 6.45pm: Junctions of Culloden Road and Edgemoor Park, Macleod Road, Torris Road and Underwood Place
- 6.50pm: Culloden Road and Cherry Park
Wednesday, December 7 – Milton of Leys
- 5pm: Redwood Crescent, Northview Green, Balvonie, Pinewood Drive and Place
- 5.45pm: Ashwood Green, Larchwood Drive, Chestnut Way, Greenwood Gardens to the end of Sandalwood Drive
- 6.30pm: Cedarwood Drive, Brock Road, Wade’s Circle and Atholl Place
Thursday, December 8 – Drakies and Inshes
- 5pm: Drummossie Avenue, Balvonie Avenue, Eastfield Avenue, Cuthbert Road, Miers Avenue, Sycamore Crescent, Drakies Avenue, Thistle Road and Inshes Crescent
- 5.30pm Drummossie Avenue and Mason Road, Stevenson Road, Wester Inshes Drive and Crescent, West Park
- 6.20pm Cloverfield Road, Meadowfield Avenue, Briargrove Crescent and Drive, Woodgrove Gardens, Delness Road and Woodgrove Drive
Friday, December 9 – Slackbuie
- 5pm: Algnish Drive, Algnish, Bracara Road, Culduthel Road and Slackbuie Brae
- 5.15pm: Morningfield Place, Morningfield Drive, Bramble Close, Orchid Avenue, Clover Crescent, Lily Bank and Morningfield Place
- 5.45pm: Dukes View, Knocknagael, Earl’s Gate
- 6.15pm: Slackbuie Way and Upper Slackbuie
Sunday, December 11 – Hilton
- 6.30pm: Oldtown Road, Kintail Crescent, Evan Barrow Road and Mackay Road
- 7pm: Cauldeen Road, Clava Road, Dell Road, Drynie Avenue, Temple Crescent and Druid Road
- 7.20pm: Tomatin Road, Aird Avene, Temple Screscent, Hilton Avenue and Old Edinburgh Road
Monday, December 12 – Merkinch and South Kessock
- 5pm: South Kessock turning circle
- 5pm to 5.55pm: Kessock Road, Craigton Avenue, Carnac Crescent, Rosehaugh Road, Kessock Avenue, Craigton Avenue, Bridgeview Driver, Kessock Avenue and back onto Kessock Road
- 5.55pm to 6.28pm: Anderson Street, Nelson Street, Grant Street, Gillbert Street, Dunabban Road, Lochalsh Road, Abban Street, Carse road and onto the roundaabout at Glendoe Terrace.
- 6.28pm to 6.50pm: Glendoe Terrace, Wyvis Place, Kilmuir Crescent, Kilmuire Road, Byvis Place, Thornbush Road and Kessock Street
- 6.50pm to 7pm: Thornbush road back to the South Kessock turning circle
Wednesday, December 14 – Wester Craigs, Kinmylies and Mile End
- 5pm: Foresters Way – Duck pond, Leachkin Road, Brudes Hill and then onto Leachkin Brae
- 5.50pm: Kirkwall Brae – Stornoway Drive
- 6.08pm: Leachkin Road
- 6.17pm: Kinmylies – Lawyers Way and Creag Dhubh Terrace
- 6.42pm: Kinmylies Surgery via King Brude Road
- 6.50pm: Golf View Road via new houses to Kings Golf Club
Thursday, December 15 – Ness Castle, Holm Mains and Maples
- 5pm: Darochville Place and Motte Place
- 5.23pm: Urquhart Street, Dunrobin Gardens, Lochindorb Drive, Eilean Donnan Road and Mingary Crescent.
- 5.50pm: Back via Eilean Donan Road to Inverlochy Crescent and onto Dornoch Road.
- 6.18pm: Holm Park
- 6.30pm: Drumfield Road
- 6.40pm: Morriston Road to Spey place
Friday, December 16 – Eissich and Holm
- 5pm: Essich Gardens and Essich Road
- 5.15pm: Holm Dell Drive and Holm Dell Avenue
- 5.48pm: Culduthel Mains Road and onto Culduthel Mains Gardens
- 6.02pm: Culduthel Mains Crescent and onto Culduthel Mains Road
- 6.22pm: Culduthel Mains Avenue and into Culduthel Mains Circle
- 6.38pm: Holm Farm
Inverness Culloden Rotary Club will also stage collections at Tesco Inshes, Morrisons and Asda over the course of three Saturdays.
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