A wild water fight broke out in the centre of Edinburgh on Tuesday morning as colourful taxis paraded through the capital - all in the name of a good cause.
The annual Edinburgh Taxi Outing has been running since 1947, where children with life-altering disabilities and terminal illnesses are ferried around in style as part of a day they will never forget.
Taxis were seen dressed up in incredible decorations, with bright balloons and ribbons flowing from the cabs as the sound of laughter almost drowned out the endless car horns signalling the parade was nearby.
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On Shandwick Place in the west end, water balloons flew at the taxis – almost all of which had their windows open to combat the incredible heat the capital is experiencing this week. It meant there were more than a few soaked drivers, who carried on with a smile on their faces.
The smiles were even bigger on the faces of the children on board, who hung out of the windows to catch out tourists unawares with water guns. The vast majority got involved in the incredible atmosphere that makes the day so special.
The procession left from Edinburgh Zoo at 10am on Tuesday, with dozens of cabs lined up to take part in the yearly festivities. There will be a pit stop at the famous Lucas café in Musselburgh so the kids can refuel on ice cream, before they take the coastal road out to Direlton at 12.45pm, where they’ll enjoy a beach day on this summer scorcher.
Prizes are also up for grabs as part of the parade, with awards going to best balloons and best float, as well as the driver and child with the best fancy dress.
Staff from the City Cabs office on Shandwick Place poured out on the street to kickstart the water fight.
Their chairman, Steven McDermott, told Edinburgh Live: “It’s our 75 th anniversary of this event and it’s such a good cause. Taxi drivers donate their time to take a whole bunch of kids that have various disabilities to the beach.
“The weather is absolutely cracking. They go all the way from Edinburgh Zoo to Direlton and get ice cream on their way. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or it’s sunny, we all love it.
“It’s really good to see all the smiling faces. I was down at Edinburgh Zoo earlier and the Holiday Inn staff were out handing croissants out. Everybody’s out to support the day. Worries aside, stresses aside, everybody’s out to have fun.
“I did see a few people walking past without a clue of what’s going on. Because the route comes past our office, we’re prepared every year to smash them with the hose and all the ammunition.”
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