To date, more than 3,000 copies of the Sandpiper Cookbook have been sold - many on Deeside and Donside - raising £25,000, with money still to be collected from various rural outlets around Scotland.

Money raised through sales of the book will go towards the Sandpiper Trust, founded in 2000 following the death of 14-year-old Perthshire lad Sandy Dickson, who drowned in a remote lake whilst holidaying in Canada.

The Trust gives emergency medical equipment in the form of life-saving medical bags which it provides to GPs working or living in remote and rural Scotland. The Trust will be able to buy either 25 Sandpiper bags, at £1,000 each, or 15 vehicle locators, at £1,500 each - solely as a result of book sales.

The Trust also provides BASICS (British Association of Immediate Care) SCOTLAND training and provides rural GPs who have Sandpiper bags with vehicle locators which allow the ambulance service to direct them to accidents to which they are closer than the nearest ambulance.

Sandy's aunt Claire Maitland, of Dowalty, Crathes, was behind the idea to set up the Trust and provides the link between the charity and the medical profession.

She compiled the cookbook and said: "We are so pleased with how well the Sandpiper Cookbook has sold. We have sold over 3,000 to date, with many being sold on Deeside and Donside. We have had lots of positive comments coming back, not only for the recipes but also for the tips on what to do in an emergency situation.

"I think that people feel that if under pressure and with time allowing, then the fact that the book is bright yellow means that it is easily visible in a panic situation.

"One person wrote in to say that she had done the entire weekend's cooking for her granddaughter's Christening from the book!"

With a foreword by former Scotland rugby player and patron of the Sandpiper Trust, Gavin Hastings, the cookbook includes recipes from current captain Jason White, Chris Paterson, Sean Lamont, Strictly Come Dancing star Kenny Logan and former captains Rob Wainwright and David Sole, as well as a contribution from cricketing legend, Sir Gary Sobers.

Chefs at many of Scotland's top restaurants have also donated recipes to the collection and there are recipes from local people, including Banchory doctor Mike Steven and Banchory paramedic Gordon Riley.

The cookbook is not only a collection of treasured family recipes but also contains pages with first aid advice on everything from seizures and meningitis to heart attacks and road accident injuries.

"We continue to get many requests from GPs the length and breadth of Scotland requesting Sandpiper bags fully equipped with medical equipment", said Claire.

"We are also concentrating on equipping Sandpiper GPs with vehicle locators which, when linked through to the Scottish Ambulance Service dispatch centres, enable GPs to respond to emergency situations such as road traffic collisions and sudden illnesses, where there may be a delay in the arrival of an ambulance.

"The Sandpiper Trust has, quite literally, been a lifesaver in many pre-hospital emergency situations in rural Scotland. Unfortunately, due to patient confidentiality, we rarely hear feedback from those who have been helped by the charity, but the positive feedback that we receive from GPs and A&E departments inspires us to continue to raise funds for this worthwhile cause".

Recipe books are still available at a number of local outlets, including Mitchells in Banchory, Tarland Shop, The Millers at Midmar, Finzean Farm Shop, Orvis in Banchory and Kincardine O'Neil Post Office.

People are always being sought to raise more funds for the Trust - through sponsored sports events or other fundraisers.

For more information, visit www.sandpipertrust.org or call Claire Maitland on (01330) 844606.