Scottish spider-men

Parkour involves running, climbing, swinging, jumping, rolling and vaulting across “urban furniture”. Gayle Ritchie meets two Dundee lads proving their prowess

Parkour means running, jumping, climbing and swinging through the urban landscape, and these lads should know.

When we size up a building or a jump, we need to be 110% sure we can do it

Dundee parkour addicts Ramsay Mayer and Liam Pullar view the world as a giant playground. They go over walls, not round them. They use stair railings instead of taking the stairs. They climb cranes and impossibly tall buildings.

When I hook up with the lads outside the Steeple Church on Dundee’s Nethergate, they’re keen to show me some moves.

As they perform backflips, spins and vault over a wall, a small audience forms. Having travelled the world looking for “urban furniture” on which to practice their art, they’re used to being the centre of attention.

Ramsay, 22, tells me he got into parkour – also known as free running – five years ago. “Having seen it in loads of movies, I started off just playing about on walls,” he says.

“It’s the most natural thing in the world to run, jump and climb, and the entire world becomes a playground when you look at it differently.”

Ramsay and Liam met at Fife Parkour back in 2011, and started coaching the sport in schools. While Ramsay, who runs the Dundee Parkour Facebook site, is a part-time lecturer and barista, Liam is a personal trainer and CrossFit coach.

Ramsay describes parkour as “using your own body and mind to overcome obstacles”. There are never any harnesses or nets involved so clearly there’s a huge element of risk but the lads are adamant it’s only as dangerous as they make it.

“When we size up a building or a jump, we need to be 110% sure we can do it,” says Liam, 24. “You only get one chance. Ultimately, a jump up at seven storeys is the same as at ground level.

“It’s very much about asking ourselves: ‘Can we do this?’ and never being afraid to say no.”

The lads – who both coach parkour in schools – try to make their “play time” as safe for themselves and others as they can and are keen to stress that anyone can do it.

“We can teach you how to get up and over a little wall, and then you get higher and higher, putting in bigger drops and setting challenges for yourself,” says Liam.

“I was a skinny kid who watched a lot of video games while Ramsay was, by his own admission, quite a lazy child until he found parkour.

“It’s made us stronger and fitter and given us loads of confidence. If you can