Pals will ride from Greek monument to Capital replica

Stuart Doyle and Chris Strother will cycle from the original Parthenon in Athens to the Edinburgh replica to raise money for St Columba's hospice.

The ride will be particularly poignant for Mr Doyle, whose grandmother Betty Slater died at the hospice in 2006.

The money will go straight into the Evening News-backed Buy a Brick appeal to raise funds for a major rebuild at the hospice's site in Granton.

Mr Doyle, 27, who lives in Slateford, said: "I'm fairly sporty and I play football weekly but for the last couple of months I've been training - I cycle in and out of work every day, to the great amusement of everyone I work with."

He managed to arrange two months away from his job at Scottish Widows, and he and Mr Strother, 31, who works for Starbucks, plotted their route between the Parthenons.

Rather than race along the most direct route, they plan to follow a path drawn up to avoid steep mountain climbs and take in places they'd like to visit, such as Rome and Pisa.

After leaving Athens, they will cycle up the Adriatic coast and through Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, where they will board the ferry to Rosyth and cycle to Calton Hill.

They will set off in May next year, and between now and then will continue training and looking for sponsors. Mr Doyle said: "I've travelled through Europe before, but to see it at a bike's pace and see the countries and meet the people, I think will be the best thing."

Their trip has the seal of approval from Edinburgh World Heritage, which oversees Calton Hill's conservation. The organisation's David Hicks said: "A route that links these two important monuments is a great idea, drawing attention to Edinburgh's reputation as the Athens of the North."

And Lesley Christie, director of fundraising for St Columba's, said: "We are thrilled that we have supporters out there who undertake these unique and exciting ways to raise money for our hospice. We can't thank Chris and Stuart enough for choosing to support our Buy a Brick Appeal."

Mr Doyle had no hesitation in choosing the hospice to benefit, after the care shown to his grandmother in her final days.

He said: "Every single person we dealt with was absolutely phenomenal."

For more details, see www.parthenon2parthenon.co.nr