A BUNCH of tough tractor drivers braved sub-zero temperatures to plough more than £700 into funds for the British Heart Foundation.

Last Saturday, West Mains Tractor Club’s post-Christmas run saw 24 drivers travel 40 miles from Carlops to West Linton, via Mackbiehill, Shiplaw, The Meldons and Romano Bridge.

A lot of the tractors taking part did not have cabs and drivers wrapped up for the freezing conditions.

Alex Pettie, who organised the event, said: “It’s a great craic when everybody is together.

“When the sun was out it was glorious but as soon as you got to a bit where it was shaded, when we were going through the hills or under trees, the temperature was -3°C or -4°C.

“It was quite hard going when you had not got a cab and we were knocking on for 40 miles.

“Everyone wants to get out after Christmas, for fresh air and to get the tractors going as nothing has been used for two to three months.

“We were very lucky with the weather, as last year’s run was done in a gale, with rain and snow.”

Not all the enthusiasts are farmers, although many come from a farming background.

Mr Pettie, who is a plumber, said: “A lot of the guys who take part have engineering backgrounds, they like the mechanics and tractors are so easy to maintain.

“We charge £20 a head to bring your own tractor and these guys fill them with diesel, from their own pockets, plus often pay two or three times the entry fee for the charity.

“We started at about 9.30am, we have to be careful because a lot of these old machines don’t have lights, so we cannot go too early.

“Twenty-four tractors is a nice manageable number when we are going round the lanes.”

The club has been going a good 20 years since it was founded by Frank Mckenzie, at West Mains Farm, Carlops.

Mr Mckenzie has tractors going way back to the early 1900s and is a big collector.

Mr Pettie said: “Our eldest driver was Tam Macdonald from Dunoon and the oldest tractor was a grey Ferguson from 1957/58.

“Plus the driver on the very front tractor was Mr Mckenzie and his grand-daughter Jemma.”

Mr Macdonald, who is originally from West Linton, borrowed a tractor for the day.

Mr Pettie added: “A lot of us also go to the Dunoon runs and guys from there come to ours.

“We go to runs from all over the country from Stranraer right up to the Isle of Bute.

“There was only one breakdown, a youngster, after about four miles he was towed home by his dad and changed the tractor.

“He had a transport box too with his wife and children along for the ride and he met us again as we were going over the Meldons.

“We try to be as un-obstructive as possible for other road users and on long stretches of road there will be four or five car spaces in between groups of tractors.

“It is very strictly marshalled anyone doing anything wrong is reprimanded.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming and making it such a successful day and especially: Murray and Jemma Mckenzie, Frank and Marlyn Mckenzie for their hospitality at West Mains, Linda and staff at the Scots Pine for the breakfast stop and to Amy and the staff at the Gordon Arms for lunch stop (best tattie and leek soup).”