First minister congratulates record breaking cyclist

Alex Salmond has paid tribute to a former Edinburgh University student who has set a new world record by cycling from the top of Alaska to the bottom of Argentina in less than four months.

Scott Napier from Fife completed the 13,500 mile journey, known as the Pan American Highway, in just 126 days, beating the previous record by two weeks.

He started on 22 June at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, at the very top of the North American continent, and finished in Ushuaia, Argentina on 25 October, travelling through 14 countries and averaging over 100 miles every day.

On hearing the news, the First Minister told The Journal: "Scott Napier’s determination and resolve to complete this extraordinary challenge is an inspiration to us all. I am delighted he has completed this remarkable journey and has broken the world record for cycling the length of the Americas in 126 days.”

Scott Napier, who graduated from Edinburgh University in 2007 with a degree in outdoor education, completed the expedition to raise funds for the MS Society Scotland and Casa Alianza, a charity for street children in Latin America.

Speaking to The Journal, he said: “I’d cycled across Australia a couple of years ago, so I decided to try somewhere else and this gave me the opportunity to see Alaska.

"I did a lot of training beforehand and I was determined to break the previous record of 140 days. I was keen to raise money for charity, and discovered Casa Alianza which helps street kids in Latin America. I also wanted to help MS sufferers.

“Initially it was scary coming across so many bears in Canada, and I knew from the research I did beforehand that they could smell any food that I was carrying, so I just cycled as fast as I could and luckily they didn’t bother me.

"Some of the locals were a bit taken aback at the sight of a red haired bushy bearded Scotsman carrying a saltire. They were shouting 'gringo’ which sounded a bit aggressive at first but really just means 'hello'.

"They also fed me and helped me with repairs and directions, despite me not speaking Spanish."

After reaching his destination of Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world, Scott had to visit the local police station to formally record his arrival. He is now verifying his claim with Guinness World Records.