Two middle-aged men are embarking on a marathon bike ride around the Lothians on Saturday (17 May) to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  

Scottish Wildlife Trust Trustee Tim Duffy and Director of Finance Paul Ritchie will begin their journey from Erraid Wood at 8am. They plan to visit 20 different Trust reserves during the course of the weekend and will cover more than 128 miles.  

The Scottish Wildlife Trust sprang from a group of dedicated Lothians volunteers each of whom wanted to make Scotland a better place for wildlife.

From these early roots, the charity was constituted in 1964 under the leadership of Sir Charles Connell, and over the past 50 years the Trust has grown to become the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland.

Members of the public are encouraged to visit their local reserves during the weekend, many of which will have volunteers on hand to answer any questions about the area. To find out which reserves have volunteers on site please visit swtlothians.org.uk.

Red Moss of Balerno reserve has a full open day from noon to 5pm on Sunday 18 May with pond dipping and other fun activities.

Tim Duffy said: “It is great to mark 50 years of the Scottish Wildlife Trust in this way. We are hoping to raise vital funds for the Trust, but equally important is raising awareness of the wonderful wildlife reserves on people’s doorstep.

“There are 21 Scottish Wildlife Trust reserves in the Lothians, with various types of habitat – woodlands, peatlands and meadows. There really is something for everyone.

“It will make all this cycling so much easier if I know that there is a chance to meet new people when I arrive at each reserve.”

To donate in support of Tim and Paul’s fundraising efforts, please visit Tim's Just Giving page.