IN 1936, a 17-year-old girl and her sisters set off on a 500-mile cycle from Glasgow to the Highlands and Skye.

Now almost 90 years later, it's hoped the exploits of Mary Harvie and her siblings will draw a new generation of adventurers to Scotland's wild spaces.

That's after a trio of contemporary cyclists – Lee Craigie, Philippa Battye and Alice Lemkes of The Adventure Syndicate – retraced Mary's route using her diary, discovered by son Harvie Paterson and transcribed during lockdown.

The journal details what Mary got up to with sisters Ella and Jean as they explored the North West Highlands, Skye, Highland Perthshire and Stirlingshire and the Syndicate's retread has been captured in a new film, What Would Mary Do?, for Hostelling Scotland.

It premiered at the Fort William Mountain Festival on Saturday and it's hoped that viewers will be inspired to make their own two-wheeled travels through Scotland's scenic landscapes.

Craigie, former British Mountain Bike champion, said: "Our respect and admiration for Mary Harvie’s spirit grew and grew the more we thought about the trip she made with her sisters in 1936.

The National:

"In her diaries Mary comes across as someone totally up for a challenge, really curious, full of energy and above all, humble and understated about the things she did.

"Mary's willingness to stay in each moment and make the very best of every situation became our guiding mantra.

"If we were cold, lacking enthusiasm or looking for the easy way out we asked ourselves, 'what would Mary do?'. She developed superhuman attributes by the end of our trip."

Mary, from Shotts in North Lanarkshire, stayed in hostels during the two-week ride with her sisters.

Margo Paterson, CEO of Hostelling Scotland, said: "The great thing about hostelling is the sense of community and the unique relationships our members and guests have with our hostel teams.

"This adventure was born from a chance conversation between Mary’s son Harvie Paterson and Karl and Lorna who manage our Port Charlotte Youth Hostel on Islay.

"Harvie told them that he had transcribed his mother’s diaries during lockdown and wondered if we would be interested in adding them to our archives, but Mary’s story was far too exciting to be hidden away.

"We were delighted that Lee, Philippa and Alice shared our vision and at a time when sustainable, active travel has never been more relevant, they have created a fantastic story of their own.

"This has been brilliantly captured on film by Maciek Tomiczek who has managed to tell a fantastic adventure story showcasing the outstanding beauty of Scotland."

The full film can be viewed via YouTube.