Staff and partners from Johnston Carmichael connected their offices across the country by passing a virtual baton from Inverness to Glasgow to take part in Scotland’s Virtual Kiltwalk, raising over £16,000 for Scottish charities.   

A group of over 60 staff from the accountancy and business advisory firm’s Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Forfar, Inverurie and Fraserburgh offices signed up for the event which took place from Friday April 23 to Sunday April 25.  

This year, Kiltwalkers were encouraged to don a bit of tartan and complete any socially distanced challenge they wished, allowing causes across Scotland impacted by the coronavirus pandemic to benefit from fundraising.  

Staff from Johnston Carmichael, which is a gold sponsor of the event, formed relay groups across their Scottish offices. The teams used app Virtual Baton which notified individuals when it was their turn to walk and contribute to the firm’s total distance.  

In addition to the relay activities, Jenn Stewart, head of the firm’s Dundee office, dribbled a ball 13 miles from Dundee to St Andrews to raise money for charity Street Soccer Scotland as part of the event.  

Business Advisory Partner at Johnston Carmichael, Niall Farquharson, completed his fourth Kiltwalk at the weekend, this year walking in memory of his good friend Duncan Skinner and raising funds for Glenelg Mountain Rescue Team. 

He said: “Like many other businesses, our staff have been unable to take part in companywide activities due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s Kiltwalk has allowed us to connect with other offices and complete the challenge together, even though we’ve all been walking in different parts of the country.

Supporting the communities in which we’re based means a great deal to us. The Johnston Carmichael team are always keen to take part in the Kiltwalk and I’m especially proud of the efforts this year, particularly because of the exceptional times we find ourselves living. Charities aren’t immune to the pandemic and with the incredible support from The Hunter Foundation, the Kiltwalk is a great way to raise money for Scottish organisations looking to help those in need.

Thanks to backing from Sir Tom Hunter and The Hunter Foundation, an extra 50p was added to every £1 raised by each and every walker, massively boosting the funds going to charities. 

Paul Cooney, CEO of Kiltwalk said: “Johnston Carmichael’s support is very important to us and it’s great to see how staff from across the country joined forces to tackle the Virtual Kiltwalk Weekend. I’d like to congratulate the team on a brilliant effort and their chosen charities will be grateful for the funds they’ve raised at such a difficult time.”