The Edinburgh Reporter October 2025

20

THE VOICE OF SPORT [email protected]

Cricket, cancer and

a whisky windfall

Inverleith mark milestone

A NOW DEFUNCT Edinburgh cricket
club is rolling out the whisky barrel –
literally – to raise funds for research into
a cancer which sadly claimed one of their
most proli c players.
In 2005 Trinity Academicals’ 80-year-
old ground at Bangholm was developed
with no provision for cricket which
created a major problem for the club.
After discussion with another local
cricket club, Drummond, it was agreed a
merger should take place.
This has been successful with the new
Drummond Trinity club is currently
running  ve teams in various East league
Divisions.
Ian Webster, last president of Trinity
Accies, takes up the story:
“The  nancial agreement of the
merger stated that each club should pay
an equal amount into the co ers of the
new club. This was done but left us with
a problem: we had some money,
approximately £1900, left over!
“Acting on the recommendation of Jim
McEwan. a work colleague at the
Northern Lighthouse Board, the Trinity
committee decided to invest in a couple
of casks of Bruichladdich whisky in 2005.
This gave us some time to decide what to
do with the extra money.
“In the summer of 2002 one of our
TACC stalwarts, Hamish Jardine, had died
of the disease of amyloidosis. The club
had previously given a donation to the
only organisation involved in research
into this disease. The research is
undertaken at the Royal Free Hospital in
London. After much discussion it was
agreed recently to sell our now 19-year-
old whisky and donate any pro t to this
charity.
“We took advice and guidance from
Ewan McIlwraith of Robertsons of
Pitlochry, a well-known person within
the Scottish Whisky industry.
“What we did not expect was the
worth of the whisky when bottled. We
have around 318 bottles now retailing at
£250 per bottle. Even taking into all the
costs involved (duty, bottling, transport
VAT) we expect to donate to the charity
in excess of £40K if we sell all the stock.
Not bad from an initial investment of
£1900!”
If you would like to purchase a bottle,
visit http://www.robertsonofpitlochry.com

The Duddingston golf club squad

celebrate after winning the 2025

Lothians summer league.

In a hotly contested  nal played

at Brunts eld Links golf club

Duddingston squeezed home

5-4 against Craigielaw.

The winning team for the  nal

was led by Lothians’ champion

Jamie Duguid and also comprised

Gary Thomson, Shaun Gordon, Ryan

Buckley, David Downing, Craig Pirie,

Ross Noon, Ben Alexander and Scott

Speakman.

INVERLEITH Petanque Club have marked their

40th anniversary on the pistes opposite the

Botanic Gardens.

Aside from an Open Triples tournament

which attracted 32 teams from around Scotland

as part of the celebrations, the club continued

their support of Marie Curie Hospice with their

32nd memorial melée, this year raising a superb

£1,000 for the charity.

Inverleith are widely respected as not only

one of the oldest clubs in the country but for

representing Scotland in the European Cup for

clubs on a regular basis.

They have also hosted national, international

and community events.

It has been suggested that this might soon

be recognised in the form of a citation by The

City of Edinburgh Council who are known to be

aware of the club’s inclusive approach and

endeavours to create more quali ed coaches

and help new clubs set up.

That is alongside the mental and physical

healthy bene ts engendered by playing the

sport.

One relatively new member, Martin Hinds,

said: “Petanque is played at Inverleith in a

convivial and sociable manner. Anybody who

has played bowls will  nd adapting more

straightforward but there is a di erent

technique involved.

“I’d encourage anyone interested to come

along and be made welcome.”

inverleithpetanque.co.uk

Three original committee members who invested in the
whisky: Kevin McLellan, Ian Webster and David Armstrong

Duddingston edge

out Craigielaw for

summer trophy

Picture: Martin P McAdam