SCOTLAND’S leading stunt cyclist plans to film a spectacular new video on one of the country’s most iconic landmarks – the Forth Road Bridge.
Danny MacAskill, best known for his death-defying daredevil stunts, has revealed the bridge is one of the “few remaining challenges” he wants to undertake in his home country.
He admitted that he was much more drawn to the listed structure than the new Queensferry Crossing, which is set to open later this year.
But the Skye-born cyclist has yet to approach National Rail about his plans – and there is every possibility they could turn him down.
MacAskill, who recently performed stunts on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, said: “I keep thinking that I’ve kind of done Scotland now. But I’ve had my eye on the Forth Bridge for a while. It’s on my list.
“It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Scotland. I’ve cycled underneath, on Inchgarvie island, for one of my films and I’ve obviously gone over it many times, although I’ve never cycled over the road bridge.
“I’ve got lots of different ideas that I work on with my friends. I really like to keep things fresh. If it is a good idea I’ll work really hard at it.”
He added: “My riding has changed a lot over the past few years. When I lived and worked in Edinburgh I was very focused purely on the riding.
“But now I’m definitely thinking about what kind of concepts will work for a film and what could people relate to, rather than just the tricks.”
Despite his grand plans, MacAskill may have his work cut out to persuade Network Rail to let him loose on the bridge, which became the nation’s sixth Unesco World Heritage site last year.
The 53,000 tonne bridge, which first opened in 1890, was the first major structure in the world to be made entirely of steel and now sees more than 200 daily train crossings.
A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The Forth Bridge is a busy operational structure and is in use 24 hours a day.”
MacAskill, 30, first rose to fame with a 2009 film shot on the streets of Edinburgh over several months, which has now been viewed over 37 million times.
The footage showed him jumping off roofs, performing a stunt on a tree and riding along spiky railings.
Subsequent films have seen him perform stunts in the mass of damaged buildings and structures in the abandoned town of Epecuen in Argentina, and in Taichung in Japan.
