A BIGGAR couple are taking on a global cycling challenge to raise money for a Scottish children's charity.

Bob (53) and Deborah (50) Gulliver set off on their trek from Rachel House hospice in Kinross on their tandem bike on March 26 with a plan to cycle the world over two years.

The couple are raising money for Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and the Hospices of Hope's Help For Ukraine appeal.

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Bob, said: “CHAS is making such a huge and immediate impact on the lives of children in Scotland suffering life-shortening illness, in parallel with providing support for the siblings and parents of those children.

"It is heart-breaking to hear how many families, just in Scotland, have a terminally ill child.

"As parents ourselves, we can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to be one of those parents.

“We therefore can’t think of a charity that we would want to support more and hope that through our efforts we will further raise the profile of CHAS, and in turn funds that will allow the charity to support more families through such a painful time, while hopefully establishing long-lasting happy memories.”

Since March, Bob and Deborah have travelled approximately 2,000 miles.

The couple are currently in Croatia, where they arrived in the capital Zagreb on May 13.

At the time of publication the pair were 39 miles south of Split as they make their way towards Athens.

Since the start of their journey the Gullivers have maintained a blog tracking their progress so far through Europe.

In the latest entry about their travels from Drniš to Split, Bob wrote: "The day was the regular pattern of big steep ups, big frightening downs and blistering heat from about 10am.

"The scenery remained spectacular to take our minds off the uncomfortable temperature, but it was the reward of the Adriatic Sea that kept us going."

Bob and Deborah plan to be back in Scotland in time to celebrate Christmas 2023 with their daughters Honi and Feni and their family.

To read the couple's blog posts and track their location during their trek, visit: thegulliverstravels.com or find them on Facebook.

And to donate to their fundraiser, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thegulliverstravels