Blind Edinburgh man hopes to inspire as he takes on 750 mile bike challenge
He hopes to raise awareness and money for Scotland's blind and partially sighted.
A blind man from Edinburgh has told Forth News he hopes to inspire other blind and partially sighted people by taking on a 750 mile bike challenge.
57-year-old Ken Reid was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition retinitis pigmentosa 30 years ago, and wants to mark the occasion by raising money for audio books for people who are blind or partially sighted through RNIB Scotland
Today he sets of on the challenge, which sees him ride a tandem bike to London, via Belfast, Dublin and Cardiff.
Ken says his condition has only spurred him on more: "There was no history of this condition in my family and we had no idea how to deal with it. The condition is untreatable, so the doctors then had little more to say to me than to say I was going blind, and there was no-one else for me to talk to!
"So I began my journey into sight loss. The prognosis was correct, I have gone blind. The rest of the journey has been a real one of discovery, with many highs and lows along the way."
"The sight loss journey isn't an easy one, and I don't intend that my cycle journey should be easy either. I will be riding a tandem, sitting on the back seat, and helped by a relay of pilots. They will navigate us through the parts of the country they will be familiar with.
"By making this journey, I want to increase awareness of the journey that more than 100 people across the UK start every day towards sight loss."
He will cycle to Cairnryan, then ferry to Belfast from where he will cycle down to Dublin. From there he will take another ferry to Holyhead for Cardiff, and on to London. The trip should take around two weeks in all. He will even be accompanied part of the way by Paralympian cyclist Laura Cluxton, who has the same sight loss condition as Ken.
To donate to Ken's cause, you can go to or Text to donate - CCLE75 £5 - to telephone number 70070.