PICTURES: Invergordon-based An Cabar Explorer Scouts fly the flag in Poland during kilted parkrun as Ross-shire movement seeks post-pandemic bounce back
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KILTED scouts from Ross-shire cut a dash at a parkrun in Poland on an educational trip made possible following generous support with fundraising.
An Cabar Explorer Scouts, based in Invergordon, consists of seven explorer scouts and four leaders.
At the Krakov parkrun, six of the scouts ran in full uniform including a kilt. They took second and third places with quick times and made friends along the way.
Scouts also visited the Ukraine refugee shelter in Krakow train station where they handed over a cheque for £800 raised the year before doing a 5k a day walk. Each explorer totalled the number of virtual miles from Invergordon to the centre in Krakow.
They also visited the salt mines, Auschwitz and Schindler's factory before flying back to Edinburgh Airport.
Unit leader of An Cabar Explorer Scout Unit, Donald Beaton, said that wearing kilts abroad "means we are seen, get attention and get asked for photos from locals and other tourists".
As well as being spotted on the park run, the group enjoyed ice skating, shopping and covering about 20km per day round and about Krakow.
The Unit has members from within Ross-shire. Satellite units run and meet in Evanton and Lochalsh but on this trip there were only members from the Invergordon meetings. Those attending were from Tore, Invergordon and Portmahomack.
Mr Beaton said: "Scouting in Invergordon did suffer through lockdown. The only section that was running through Zoom were the Explorers. Cubs are struggling with numbers but are meeting weekly in the Josh Street Hall on Tuesday nights. Numbers are very low and we would welcome new members. We have just restarted the Scout section. They are running alongside the Explorers in the cabins at Milton Woods with thanks to the Milton Woodland Trust. New members into both of these groups would also be welcome."
He said the group has had to move each section away from the school lets due to the cost of these – a factor which has reduced the number of young people in Invergordon scouts.
Restarting face to face scouting has been a struggle for the cubs and scouts but the explorers have returned to a full programme, last year. Three members did Duke of Edinburgh awards. The full unit met in Plockton for the first time after lockdown in February 2022. That was followed by the full unit going to Woolly Jumper, a camp in Aberdeen.
Mr Beaton said: "It was great to see the satellite units on both of these camps, 15 in Plockton and 23 in Aberdeen. We are also very grateful to Invergordon Gas and to Northeast Nutrition Scotland Ltd. Both companies donated money for much-needed flysheets for tents to attend Blair Atholl jamborette last year.
The unit raised money to go toward the cost of the trip through table sales, raffle and with thanks to Morrisons Alness a door collection along with a grant from the Seaforth Sanatorium Trust donated for a trip to Gdansk Jamborette that was cancelled due to Covid in 2020.
The trip was led by Mr Beaton and two other young leaders that have grown up through the Unit. The seven explorers were aged 14 to 17.
Find out more about Scouts at www.ross-skye-lochalsh-scouts.org/about-us
