The occasional shower didn’t put a dampener on Harpenden Lions Club’s annual Highland Gathering, which raised an estimated £18,000.

The Gathering, which this year had an estimated turn-out of over 2,500, is one of the largest events of its kind outside of Scotland.

It featured a wide variety of exciting activities including traditional highland sports like caber tossing as well as other attractions such as folk dance band Ceilidh Factor and, new for this year, the equine display Mane Attraction.

For children the Kids’ Circle offered opportunities to make sand art pictures, as well as to get involved with face painting and go-karting.

The long-running event raised money for such good causes as the Bone Cancer Research Trust, Luton & Dunstable Hospital Dementia Care Project and Luton & Dunstable University Hospital Charitable Fund Dementia Care Project.

One of the organisers Steve Gledhill said: “There were one or two brief showers but all this did was to drive people into the refreshment tents and craft stalls to buy even more.”

He went on to say that: “Harpenden Lions Club is very grateful for the support of everyone who attended. Especial thanks go to the Town Mayor Cllr Brian Ellis who was Chieftain for the day, opening and closing the day’s proceedings.

“The Lions gratefully acknowledge the support of the Pipe Bands, dancers, heavy event competitors, stallholders, sponsors and advertisers, as well as all the local volunteer organisations and individuals involved. Scouts, Army and Air Force Cadets, Harpenden Village Rotary and many others assisted with the setting up, running and clearing up after the event,” he continued.