SOLDIERS from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4SCOTS) tackled the fierce Spartan Race to raise money for children’s Armed Forces charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

Led by Andrew McLellan, the 60 4SCOTS team members stood out from the crowd in their head-to-toe in military gear as they were put through their paces wading through sludgy bogs, scaling slippery six-foot ramps, crawling under barbed wire and cargo nets and jumping through fire.

The team set itself an ambitious target to raise £8,000 for Scotty’s, a national charity which offers much needed support to children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces. The charity holds a special place in their hearts of the regiment’s members who have lost comrades over the years and witnessed the devastating impact it has on families, particularly the children they leave behind.

Corporal William Savage, from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2SCOTS), was one fallen hero firmly at the front of their minds over the weekend. Corporal Savage was killed in Afghanistan in April 2013, leaving behind his wife Lynzy and son Connor who he never got to meet. Connor joined Scotty’s Little Soldiers in September 2013 when he was just a few months old. Although he never got to meet his dad, Connor, now five years old, is keen to celebrate his memory and was there with his mum to cheer on his dad’s fellow comrades at the Spartan Race.

Lynzy said: “The guys did so well. It really was a challenging race, but they did it and they did it for Scotty’s! Andrew has done a fantastic job championing the 4SCOTS involvement and it’s been great for Connor to experience it – he even got to help warm up the troops before they started. Next year, I’ve decided I’m going to sign up myself.”

Adding extra cheer over the weekend was Scotty’s founder Nikki Scott. She said: “I have a huge amount of respect for the 4SCOTS and everyone who took part in the Spartan Race. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted – I suppose that’s why they call it The Beast.

“The fact that so many members of the regiment took part in aid of Scotty’s is fantastic. I know the military guys like a good challenge. I can’t thank Andrew and the guys enough for the money they’ve already raised. It will go a long way in helping us continue to deliver the support to our members when they need it the most.”

Founded by war widow Nikki Scott in 2010, Scotty’s Little Soldiers supports children across the UK. The charity was set up in memory of Nikki’s husband and father to her two children, Corporal Lee Scott, after he was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. The charity was also chosen by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as one of seven charities to benefit from the Royal Wedding earlier this year.

Click here for more information on the 4SCOTS fundraising efforts, or if you’re interested in taking on a Spartan Race for Scotty’s Little Soldiers or another fundraising challenge, find out more by following this link.

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