For families with a child going through cancer treatment they often have to face the prospect of being apart for weeks at at time to attend hospital appointments miles from home.

However, charity Calum's Cabin has been able to keep families together after raising funds to allow them to buy three flats in Glasgow which are there for the use of families while children are attending city hospitals.

They are just one of thousands of charities which have been helped by Scottish Kiltwalk events in the past five years.

Kiltwalk heroes alongside The Hunter Foundation have raised £20.6 million in five years for more than 2,000 Scottish charities.

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That’s double the target set by Sir Tom Hunter when he became involved with the Kiltwalk charity in 2015. Every penny, every pound of the £13.9m raised by Kiltwalkers was paid-out to 2,100 different charities and this was topped-up by £6.7 million by The Hunter Foundation.

Calum's Cabin was set up by Caroline Speirs following the death of her son Calum, 12, to a brain tumour in 2007. It was his wish that a family retreat be created and they opened their first cabin in 2009 on the Isle of Bute with the city flats following in 2017 and onwards.

Mrs Speirs said: "The support from the Kiltwalk and The Hunter Foundation has been phenomenal. It has allowed us to purchase and run three flats in Glasgow for the use of families who have children undergoing cancer treatment.

"Our fundraisers have put in more than £500,000 which has been topped up by £225,000 by Kiltwalk. We will never be able to thank them enough it has allowed us to help keep families together."

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Shona Cardle, CEO, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said the Kiltwalk has raised more than £1 million over the past five years for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

She said: "The children’s hospital in Glasgow is the busiest in the country, and treats some of the most seriously ill children from across Scotland. The vital funds raised by Kiltwalkers have helped premature babies in our neonatal units, children with cancer, and supported the front-line NHS staff who care for them. We look forward to donning our tartan and walking together again at the Kiltwalk in 2021.”

The milestone figures were revealed as Kiltwalk announced a “Save the Date” for Scotland’s Virtual Kiltwalk Weekend in April 2021. A Virtual event will take place from Friday April 23 to Sunday 25 to allow charities to mobilise their supporters to raise much needed funds early next year.

Organisers have also announced that the next mass participation event, Scotland’s Kiltwalk 2021, is set to go ahead in Glasgow on Sunday August 29. The Kiltwalk felt it was right to set a date for bringing the Kiltwalk community back together again for one big Scottish walk.

This year all four of Kiltwalk’s planned events, in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, were cancelled because of the pandemic but virtual events held to raise funds for cash-strapped charities attracted 16,000 Kiltwalkers and delivered £2.5 million with The Hunter Foundation doubling the fundraising total to £5 million.

Our own Herald memorial garden team took part. With funding matched through Kiltwalk we raised more than £3000 towards our £50,000 target to create a garden of remembrance as a tribute to Scots who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

Sir Tom Hunter said: “The Kiltwalk kindness of Scots is truly unparalleled and at a time of most need we should offer hope and that’s why today we launch Scotland’s virtual Kiltwalk for the Spring. We know charities need real support right now and we also know our Kiltwalkers will step up to that fundraising challenge.

“And it’s fantastic that today we announce getting back to walking together for one big walk on August 29 we simply can’t wait to see our walkers in person. When we rescued Kiltwalk we had no idea that Scots in their thousands would embrace this fundraising challenge and if I’m honest we wondered if we were flogging a dead duck; well the duck is alive and well and flying £20.6m high thanks to all our Kiltwalkers - you put a smile on my face every day thank you.”

The Hunter Foundation will boost all cash raised by 50%.