Celebrating classic Jags drives charity fundraiser​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, dozens of Jaguar enthusiasts from all over Grampian will once again be bringing their big cats to Drum Castle on Deeside on Sunday, July 31 for one of the region’s biggest car shows, which is open to the public between noon and 4pm.

The annual Jaguar Gathering has become Drum Castle's most attended public event each year

Now in its twenty first year, the Annual Gathering and Car Show, hosted by the Grampian Region of Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club (JEC), will showcase iconic Jaguars and Daimlers dating back several decades, including renowned classics and modern favourites.

The guest car club this year will be the Triumph Stag Owners Club who will be showing some of their classics. Drum Castle’s south lawn provides a great canvass for our Gathering where we regularly have around 60 Jaguar and Daimler cars on show. The Annual Gathering, with it’s informal Concours competition, is the highlight of the club’s annual calendar.

It not only brings the Region’s dedicated Jaguar and Daimler enthusiasts together for an appreciative public audience, but also raises money for our annual charity. This year will see all the proceeds from the club’s annual fund-raising efforts go to AberNecessities.

This incredible charity, sometimes referred to as a “baby bank”, was initiated 4 years ago after the founders, a mother and daughter partnership, made a request for nappies after realising that so many families just could not afford the most basic requirements for their children.

An overwhelming response, with donations of clothes and equipment as well as nappies, led them to establish the charity in 2019 and develop a wide range of child-based services for deprived families in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

AberNecessities operates on a referral basis, accepting applications from a network of professionals across the health, social care, and education services, which enables it to distribute items fairly and efficiently to families who need them most.

Steve Cromar, Grampian Region Chairman for JEC said: “The popularity of the Club’s annual event continues to increase each year. Over the 20-year history of the Annual Gathering we’ve welcomed thousands of passionate Jaguar and Daimler car owners and interested spectators who enjoy seeing the best of the North East’s cars all together on show.

"We are grateful to all our sponsors for the support they have shown both the club and our chosen charity – in 2019, we raised £2,600 for the Archie Foundation, so we are hoping for a good turnout this year to match, or even better that amount.

Visitors will be treated to a whole host of entertainment including music from the Gordon Highlanders Association pipe band, a raffle, and bottle stalls with lots of prizes to be won. The raffle will include something courtesy of Peter Vardy Jaguar.

Tickets for this raffle will only be available on the day at Drum Castle.

The National Trust will be offering refreshments including soup, sandwiches, tea, coffee and soft drinks and JEC will be selling strawberries and cream plus cakes and home bakes, so there will be lots for everyone to see and do.