Avoch man Phil Baarda has bravely whisked off his whiskers after 25 years to help three charities - Highland Hospice, Crohn's and Colitis UK and WaterAid. Phil has had his beard for 25 years, so long that his wife Lucy and their three children aged 8 to 14 have never seen him without it. In the weeks running up to the shave-off, Mr. Baarda grew his beard longer than usual and also had it dyed with bright greena and pink stripes to encourage more people to donate to his chosen charities. The bold move was a great success - the shearing which took place in front of Phil's colleagues at Great Gelen House (SNH, Inverness) has raised £1600 so far, with donations still coming in. Anyone wanting to donate can do so at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PhilBaarda. Well Done Phil from all at Highland Hospice!