THE chief executive of one of Scotland's largest fundraising events has quit his post amid mounting criticism of the of the charity's management.
Carey McEvoy stepped down as head of The KiltWalk after a number of charities withdrew their support.
The Kiltwalk, which sees teams of fundraisers walk 26 miles in a kilt, has generated millions of pounds for children's charities in Scotland since it was established in 2010.
Money raised by teams of five or more is split between the team's own personal choice of charity and is then distributed by Kiltwalk to their official partners.
However, it has been hit by a number of call-offs as major charities severed ties amid concerns about the distribution of money raised.
Four of Scotland's biggest children's charities - Cash For Kids, Aberlour, Clic Sargent and Edinburgh Sick Kids - all announced that they would no longer be working with the Kiltwalk.
In a statement Mr McEvoy blamed the media and charities for the difficulties The KiltWalk has found itself in.
He said: "The last month has been very difficult for the whole team, with four charities withdrawing as partners followed by several stories in the press which is having a big impact on our 2015 events," he said.
The departing chief executive oversaw the rapid growth of The Kiltwalk before it was his with criticisms over its running costs and a lack of transparency on money handed out to partners.
In Kiltwalk's last set of accounts for 2013, the organisation showed an income of just over £1.6 million. Of that, £780,000 was spent on running costs, £4,000 more than was given to charity.
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