Almost every year since 1984, mushers from across the UK have gathered in the forests of Aviemore to take part in the biggest event in the British sled dog racing calendar.
The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Aviemore Sled Dog Rally – now in its 33rd year – opens today at Glenmore, and will attract more than 1,000 sled dogs and 250 mushers over the weekend.
Organised in conjunction with Forestry Commission Scotland, the race follows forest trails around the beautiful Loch Morlich, in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains.
Teams of between two and eight dogs will pull their musher on a sled around a four to seven mile trail. Even if there is no snow at ground level, the races still go ahead, with mushers using a three-wheeled rig that looks like a tricycle without a seat.
Just a dozen teams ran in the first rally in 1984, but the race has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the UK and brings thousands of pounds into the local economy.
There are eight adult classes and two children’s classes, while mushers range from just eight-years-old to 60 and over.
Along with the Siberian Huskies, breeds like the Alaskan Malamute, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs – the pedigree first bred to pull sleds in Arctic conditions hundreds of years ago – will also take part.
The starting point lies just over the wooden bridge from the car park and runs parallel to the ski road for a short distance before entering the forest.
Last year, the popular sled dog race had to be cancelled because dangerous icy conditions were putting competitors and spectators at risk.
Sunday’s disappointment followed a perfect first day’s racing on the Saturday, when hundreds lined the route near Aviemore for a full day’s racing.