Tayinloan Burn will be awash with hundreds of yellow rubber duckies this weekend when residents of the West Kintyre village host their second annual duck race.
Organisers are hoping for a repeat of last year’s inaugural event which saw more than a hundred spectators turn out to enjoy some feathered fun on a day of brilliant sunshine.
The 2023 event raised £2,976.11, which funded the replacement of Rhunahaorine Primary School’s old, unsafe playground equipment.
Money raised at this year’s event, which takes place on April 13, will be donated to Tayinloan Youth Club, which meets once a week in the village hall. It offers a safe space for youngsters from across West Kintyre to enjoy fun and educational activities.
The club also organises trips and excursions for the children and, as a member of Youth Scotland, it is invited to send representatives to the annual two-day ‘Big Ideas’ event, which sees hundreds of people aged between 12 and 17 meeting at the University of Stirling’s campus.
To ensure Tayinloan Youth Club remains accessible to all young people in the area, it does not charge any fees, meaning the organisation relies entirely on volunteers, fundraising and grants to operate.
The club hopes as many people as possible will support the duck race, which has a range of prizes up for grabs, thanks to the generosity of many local businesses.
A choice of prizes is on offer for the first 24 ducks across the finish line, which includes £100 and £50 cash prizes, original paintings, overnight holiday accommodation and camping stays, designer sunglasses, firewood, hampers, vouchers for meals, a car valet, ferry travel and bike hire, and much more.
There is also a prize for one lucky duck – whose number will be drawn at random – and a booby prize for the last duck to cross the finish line.
The race kicks off at 11.15am and spectators, whether they are in the race or not, are invited to Tayinloan Village Hall afterwards, where the winners will be announced and soup, sandwiches and home-baking will be available for a small fee.
There will also be a raffle to win a duck-themed hamper and a range of other additional prizes, as well as other games including ‘Bucks for Ducks’, which offers participants an opportunity to win their ‘duck bucks’ back by hooking a lucky duck, as well as lucky squares and guess the number of sweets in the jar.
Caeleigh Kean, from Hugs of Argyll, will also be bringing along Huggy the therapy horse to offer free petting sessions, as well as in-hand walks around the playing field beside the village hall for a small fee.
Anyone who would like more information about the event, or to purchase a duck as long as numbers are still available, can follow the ‘Tayinloan Duck Race 2024’ event on Facebook.
A spokesperson said: "People would be “quackers” to miss out on what they are sure will be another hugely fun day out."
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