Cyclists journey from Lockerbie in Scotland to Syracuse in tribute to victims of terrorist bombing

Lockerbie (Scottish Gaelic: Locarbaidh) is a town in southwestern Scotland. The town has been in existence since the time of Viking influence in the period around 900AD. This part of southwest Scotland, including the ancient Gaelic Kingdom of Galloway, had increasingly fallen under Norse-Gael control during the 9th to 13th centuries. Sadly, the town came to international attention on 21 December 1988 after Pan Am Flight 103 crashed there following the awful terrorist bomb attack aboard the flight. The Pan Am flight was en route from London to New York when it exploded killing 270 people - including 11 on the ground.

Now, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the bombing, a team of cyclists have set off from Lockerbie to New York in tribute to those killed. The 3,200-mile trip will end in Syracuse University in New York State.  The university lost 35 of its students in the bombing. The journey will also be used to remember emergency workers and locals who helped in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The journey is to be undertaken in three stages and begins with a tour of local schools. The cycling team then aim to lead a mass participation cycle from Lockerbie to Edinburgh Castle in mid-October. Then the final leg will move to the United States. Starting in Washington DC and ending at Syracuse University. The team said they were making the trip for those who did not make it home.