Highland charity thanks Inverness opticians for 'invaluable' Art Trail support
The organisers of a charity art trail have expressed their gratitude to an Inverness-based opticians and audiology store for their ‘invaluable’ support.
Highland Hospice, currently hosting the Highland HeArt Trail, has shared a ‘huge thanks’ to Specsavers in Inverness.
The store has once again sponsored a sculpture in this year’s trail, having previously offered the same support to the Go Nuts Art Trail in 2019 and The Great Heilan Coo Trail, held in 2022.
The current trail’s sponsorship and fundraising will add to the £150,000 already raised from the first two events.
Highland HeArt Trail features 23 giant heart sculptures which have been painted by local artists from across the Highlands, then sponsored by local businesses.
The Inverness store has proudly sponsored a hand-painted sculpture by Nairn-based artist Liz Peck and the residents of Eilean Dubh Care Home, which reflects memories and ideas shared by residents and staff.
HeArt hunters can enjoy the sculptures at several locations across the region until the weekend of 23 and 24 August when all 23 HeArts will be gathered in a special ‘HeArts in the Park’ event at Bellfield Park in Inverness, before being auctioned on Friday 5 September 2025.
Karen Duff, corporate fundraiser at Highland Hospice, says: ‘Highland HeArt Trail is Highland Hospice’s third art trail of its type, with 23 colourful giant HeArt sculptures scattered across the city of Inverness and 13 other towns throughout the Highland region.
‘Our previous two trails, the ‘Go Nuts Squirrel Trail’ and ‘The Great Heilan Coo Trail’ raised in the region of £150,000, which is a truly amazing amount.
‘While some of this income came from donations and our end of trail auction, a huge portion was from corporate sponsorship, which is why the support we receive from businesses like Specsavers is invaluable to Highland Hospice.
‘This revenue greatly helps us to fund the delivery of the right care in the right place at the right time, to our patients and their loved ones across the entire Highland region.
‘We want to say a huge thanks to Specsavers for their incredible support of the Highland HeArt Trail - it means so much to all of those who rely on our many services and support, often at a difficult time in their lives.’
Andrea Farrelly, retail manager at Specsavers Inverness, adds: ‘We’ve supported the Highland Hospice art trails for a few years now and it’s something the whole team genuinely looks forward to.
‘Not only do the sculptures bring so much colour and creativity to our city, but they raise vital funds for a cause that touches so many families locally.
‘Being part of something that brings people together and supports such important work in our community is a real privilege, and we’re really proud to do that alongside the Highland Hospice.’
To learn more about the Highland HeART Trail, visit: www.highlandhospice.org/how-you-can-help/heart-trail
Specsavers Inverness is located on High Street and is open seven days a week. To book an appointment, visit www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/inverness or call 01463 241341.