MoonWalk a riot of colour as city turns pink

Heather Wilson, Lorraine Giles and Shona Gorn , Team Orkney Survivors, who are all Breast Cancer Survivors

Starting in the city’s Holyrood Park, thousands of people in circus-themed decorated bras walked through the streets of the Scottish capital from midnight through into yesterday morning.

The annual event’s aim is to promote fitness and health whilst raising money and awareness for breast cancer causes in Scotland.

Charity walkers chose to complete a quarter, half, full or double marathon for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.

Camera Obscura, St Giles Cathedral, Queen Victoria at the National Galleries, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and The Mound glowed pink in support of the walkers.

Hotels including the Radisson Blu, the Balmoral and Kimpton Charlotte Square were also lit up pink for the occasion.

A host of school children aged ten and over walked 6.5 miles, with many participating for the first time.

Among the participants was Christine McLaughlin, chief finance officer for NHS Scotland.

Ms McLaughlin was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer in October last year after a lump she thought was a cyst turned out to be breast cancer.

She saw a sign promoting MoonWalk while sitting in the Breast Cancer Unit at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh awaiting treatment.

“Having seen that Walk the Walk sign and the positive impact of the grant first hand, it gave me the courage to be more public about my own diagnosis and I decided to tweet about my fundraising effort,” she said.

“Through doing events like The MoonWalk and raising money, my goal is that everyone should be able to get all the help and support they need at whatever stage in their own cancer journey.”

Since the event started in 2006, the MoonWalk has raised almost £21.5 million. The Scotsman and sister publication Scotland on Sunday are media partners of the event.