A SCOTTISH optician recently swapped specs for spokes as he took on a near-500 mile charity challenge to raise funds to tackle homelessness.

Adrian McCann from Kirkcaldy joined his Specsavers colleagues Richard Curtis and John Adams to take on a 478m, seven-day, London to Edinburgh charity cycle.

The trio of amateur cyclists have already raised almost £11.5k and are hoping to reach around £20,000 for homeless charity Crisis UK.

McCann, who works as the optometrist director of Specsavers in Leven and Cupar, said: “Many people are facing challenging times, and one vulnerable group in dire need are those without a place to call home.

The National:

“I wanted to do something proactive for a cause that I feel deeply passionate about. Then the spark came to pick a feat that would challenge and push me at the same time. Pedal power won.”

The route the trio took was as follows:

  • Day 1 - London to Cambridgeshire, 61 miles
  • Day 2 - Cambridgeshire to Louth (Lincolnshire), 89 miles
  • Day 3 - Louth to Malton (North Yorkshire), 78 miles
  • Day 4 - Malton to Headlam (County Durham), 70 miles
  • Day 5 - Headlam to Wetheral (Cumbria), 67 miles
  • Day 6 - Wetheral to Shieldhill Castle (South Lanarkshire), 79 miles
  • Day 7 - Shieldhill Castle to Edinburgh, 34 miles

McCann added: “I am overwhelmed by the support from my optometry colleagues all over Scotland for their generous support.

“During the cycle we faced some awful weather conditions and our limbs were aching, but it was worth it to make a difference to this amazing charity.”

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When Specsavers across Scotland first heard about McCann’s challenge, they joined forces to contribute £5000 to the fundraising campaign to ensure it got off to a positive start.

To visit the fundraising page, click HERE.