Cyclists in Lockerbie bombing tribute ride to Edinburgh
- Published
Riders cycled from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle to honour the 270 people killed in 1988.
More than 100 cyclists have taken part in a ride to honour those killed in the Lockerbie bombing.
Riders cycled from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle in tribute to the 270 people killed in 1988.
It was the second stage of a three-part transatlantic challenge ahead of the 30th anniversary of the disaster.
The final leg in the US will start in Washington DC and end at Syracuse University, which lost 35 students in the bombing.
Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, killing 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground.
The Cycle to Syracuse was launched last month and included a tour of local schools.
The cycle ride was the second stage of a three-part transatlantic challenge
Scottish secretary David Mundell welcomed the cyclists at a reception at Edinburgh Castle after they had completed the ride to the Scottish capital.
He said: "As we approach the 30th anniversary of the bombing, it is fitting that five local men are making the journey to Syracuse to remember those lost, and to raise money for a local youth mental health charity."
The five cyclists who will be travelling to the US for the final leg later this month include Colin Dorrance, who was an 18-year-old off-duty police officer on the night of the bombing.
He saw the plane crash and was immediately recalled to duty.
David Whalley led the RAF search and rescue team on the night, while Paul Rae was an 18-year-old Lockerbie resident in 1988 and volunteered to help search the hills that night.
The other two in the group are David Walpole, who was a bank manager in Dumfries in 1988, and Brian Asher, the head teacher at Lockerbie Academy.
As part of the challenge the team will also raise funds for a local mental health charity to fund a dedicated worker based in Lockerbie Academy.
The cycling challenge is taking place ahead of the 30th anniversary of the bombing
- Published7 September 2018
