Car treasure hunt rolls into town

A mini car treasure hunt is to take place for a second time in Nairn as the town gears up to host a classic and modern vehicle show.

In the run up to Wheels of Nairn which will take place on Saturday, September 19, people are being encouraged to spot 13 miniature cars ‘parked’ in shop windows.

Each car will represent a letter, and people are being tasked to collect all the letters and work out what the magic three words are.

All entries will be entered into a prize draw and two winners drawn at random and announced on the day of the event which is sponsored by Nairn Car Sales.

Lucy Harding, manager of Nairn BID which organises the event said: “We are looking forward to running the car treasure hunt again in the lead up to Wheels of Nairn and are delighted that the businesses are getting involved.  We have 13 mini vehicles that will be hidden in different premises. To take part, people can pick up an entry form from various places in the town including the Nairn Community & Arts Centre and drop them back, ready for the winner to be announced at the event. The car treasure hunt will run up until 1pm on the day of Wheels of Nairn and anyone taking part that day can bring their entries to the registration tent at the Links.”

Lucy added: “We have visitors coming to Nairn from all over the country and we do our best to encourage them to enjoy Wheels of Nairn but also head up to the town centre and see what a wonderful selection of shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants we have. The car treasure hunt is one way of encouraging people to move about. There will be a prize of a bottle of Royal Brackla Whisky for an adult winner and a Sprinkles voucher for a child winner.”

Wheels of Nairn is taking place for the sixth time, and this year, for the first time, the public is being encouraged to vote for their favourite motor.

Three hundred and fifty vehicles are registered to attend and Nairn BID has introduced a People’s Choice category where visitors to the event can cast a vote for their top vehicle.

Lucy said: “Much like the introduction of the car treasure hunt last year, this year we thought it would be great to get the public involved and have a ‘People’s Choice’ winner, which is chosen on the day itself.”

This year there are 14 categories including pre-1944, show and shine, military and commercial, campervans and club stands.

Last year, visitors from Austria stole the show by securing the best in show prize.

Anton Hohenauer with his 1989 BMW E30 M3 Evolution 1 and Daniel Dietrich with a 1983 Opel Ascona C ended up joint winners after wowing the judges with their vehicles. The pair took home a trophy and were presented with a hamper made from treats and gifts from the town’s shops. The hamper was sponsored by Dean Ross of RM Towbars.

The event attracted thousands of spectators throughout the day and one of the highlights was 110-year-old fire appliance Betsy, who was brought along by the North East Scotland Fire Heritage Trust and will return again for 2026.