CRERAR HOTELS CEO HITS THE MARK AND PEDALS 450 MILES FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Chris Wayne-Wills, David Cochrane & Glenn Woodage

A fundraising challenge set up by HIT Scotland and Crerar Hotels has raised an impressive £17,000 for the hospitality industry following a gruelling 450 mile cycle around Scotland.

Crerar Hotels Chief Executive Officer and HIT Trustee, Chris Wayne-Wills and David Cochrane, Chief Executive of Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland partnered up to create the ‘HIT the Crerar450 Challenge’ – a fundraising challenge based around the Scottish hotel group’s Crerar450 road trip.

Whilst Chris cycled more than 450 miles in less than a week alongside Glenn Woodage, Assistant Director of F&B at Virgin Hotels, Edinburgh and member of HIT Future Group, David and other hospitality advocates joined the CEO on several legs of the challenge whilst teams also took part virtually, cycling, walking or running the miles. In total, Chris, Glenn and the virtual participants clocked up an impressive 2,825 miles over the course of the challenge.

HIT the Crerar450 Challenge commenced on 17th September starting from Balmoral Arms in Ballater before they cycled to Thainstone House Hotel in Inverurie, Golf View Hotel in Nairn, The Glencoe Inn, Oban Bay Hotel, the Isle of Mull Hotel, Loch Fyne Hotel in Inveraray, and sister hotel Dunkeld House Hotel in Perthshire, before returning to Ballater.

The HIT the Crerar450 challenge raised a whopping £17,000, smashing the original target of £5,000, all of which will go towards providing empowering inspirational development to those studying or working in the hospitality industry in Scotland.

Chris Wayne-Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, said: “Cycling the Crerar450 was the experience of a lifetime, to say the least. I’m a keen cyclist, but this really pushed me to my limit, tackling almost every season Scotland had to throw at us along the way. However, I had the wonderful support of HIT Scotland, my Crerar Hotels family and many partners and hospitality professionals.

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone who took part in the challenge, we’ve raised a fantastic amount for the hospitality industry, these funds are incredibly valuable, especially at a time like this.”

David Cochrane, CEO of HIT Scotland, said: "This challenge was incredibly demanding, but the sheer amount of support we received has made it worth it. It just shows how wonderful this industry is, that we can all come together to support a great cause.

“The £17,000 we’ve raised will help fund HIT's inspirational scholarship programme, and I want to personally thank everyone who took part and donated, even those who cheered us on – it helped everyone clock in those miles.”

The challenge was inspired by the Scottish hotel group’s Crerar450 scenic road trip – a route which takes in 450 miles between all seven, four-and five-star Crerar Hotels properties.

The typical Crerar450 route that has proved most popular is Inveraray > Oban > Isle of Mull > Glencoe > Nairn > Inverurie > Ballater > back to Inveraray, though guests are free to choose their own route.

For more information on the Crerar450, please visit: https://www.crerarhotels.com/hotel-offers/crerar450/ or to donate visit https://justgiving.com/campaign/crerar450.