Team from the Highlands completes The Lang Way Doon challenge, cycling length of Scotland in under 22 hours to raise money for Ukrainian relief effort
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A team of cyclists from clubs around the Inverness area has cycled the length of Scotland in under 22 hours to raise thousands of pounds to help those affected by the war in Ukraine.
The six cyclists took on The Lang Way Doon challenge from Tongue to Coldstream, via Braemar along a 325-mile route which involved 18,000ft of climbing
The riders were Derek Paterson, of Inverness Cycle Club, Michael Anderson, Lynne Cordiner, Andy Cowie and Stuart Morrison, of Moray Firth Cycle Club, plus Mark McCabe.
They set a fundraising target of £10,000 and by today they had raised more than £8500 on their Cycle Scotland for Ukraine JustGiving page.
Mr Paterson said it was a tough challenge for everyone but the conditions were fair.
"We all had our low moments," he said. "For some it was ski centre climbs in the small hours, for others, fatigue hit at different points in the day.
"The highs were the way the team pulled together and supported one another when things got tough."
He said the true stars were the support crew Andrew Shaw and Al McCaffrey along with the team's travelling photographer/videographer Chris Gallacher who gave up their jubilee weekend to help.
Mr Paterson said the cyclists had got off to a good start with a 90-mile tailwind from Tongue to Inverness which set them up nicely for what was to come.
"The dark hours from Alness to Tomintoul were surprisingly enjoyable, given none of us had ridden much in the dark," he said.
"The 80-mile section from Nethy Bridge to Blairgowrie was brutal and cold and took us through the bulk of the mountain passes in the Cairngorms including the Lecht and Glenshee Ski Centres.
"There were a lot of flat tedious miles after that to the Forth Road Bridge, where temperatures started to rise, and we were finally able to remove some outer layers of clothing."
They were also greeted by family and friends who gave them a much-needed boost
"The section from the Forth Road Bridge round the outskirts of Edinburgh taking in Leith, Portobello and Musselburgh saw us in what seemed like never-ending traffic and certainly tested our patience.
"The last 30 miles from Gifford to Coldstream took us over the Lammermuir Hills and what can only be described as some of the steepest and most stinging gradients of the entire ride. Each of the last few miles felt like an hour’s riding.
"The last section was certainly tough, but the thought of sponsors and the efforts of the support crew spurred us to the finish.
"I think we all agree that the ultimate emotional high was crossing the Coldstream Bridge and seeing the 'Welcome to England' sign."
The money raised will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal run by Disasters Emergency Committee which is working with local partners in Ukraine and across the border in neighbouring countries to meet the immediate needs of all people fleeing.
Team prepares to cycle length of Scotland
