A merry band of cyclists are to conquer the North Coast 500 to help raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
A team of 22 cyclists will tackle the 516-mile scenic route this week as part of a fundraising challenge, masterminded by charity Bike the UK for MS.
Over the course of eight days, the group will cover 548 miles and 36,000ft of changing elevation.
The group are the first to take on the challenge, with a second band of cyclists expected to follow in their footsteps in September.
Collectively, the team have already raised £20,000 with donations continuing to flood in.
The money will be used to support local MS groups, including the Inverness and Nairn MS Society Group and Ross-shire MS Society Group, and fund vital research projects to stop the disease.
Nicole Montague, UK programme coordinator said: “We have been running cross country rides as a charity since 2014 and the NC500 was a popular ride that kept coming up amongst our alumni, like a route that they really wanted us to try.
“We trialled it last year just with 14 of our close friends and now we are running two trips this year. The first one starts tomorrow and the other one is in September.”
The challenge will begin and end in the Highland Capital.
The group set off from the Bught Park pitches, opposite Bught Caravan and Campsite, at 8am on Saturday before making haste for the north coast.
During the eight-day challenge, the team will be staying at a number of local hosts including Brora Rangers Football ground and Gairloch Community Centre.
The 22-strong team is also expected to camp overnight in Tongue, Scourie, Ullapool, near Gairloch and Lochcarron before returning to Inverness next Saturday.
An identical course will be completed by the team taking on the feat in September.
During the course of the feat, a support van will be on hand to offer assistance along the route.
About the charity – Bike the UK for MS
Bike the UK for MS was formed by James Whateley, UK programme director in 2014.
During a gap year, he travelled to the United States of America where he bumped into the charities now parent charity, Bike the US for MS.
Entranced by their efforts, he brought the vision back to the UK.
For eight years, the charity has been hosting a range of cross country cycle to raise money in support of those battling MS.
Supporters have previously cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats and Whitehaven on the west coast of England, to Tyne and Wear on the east coast.
More than £250,000 has been raised by the charity to date.
Conversation