Journalist to tell tales of Middle East cycle trip

Adventurer to give talk in Perth of her year in the saddle travelling from London to Tehran

A journalist who cycled from London to Tehran due to her interest in the Middle East will be giving a talk in Perth.

Rebecca Lowe, who is a former chief reporter at the International Bar Association, is one of many speakers who have been invited to give talks by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) in Perth.

Her cycle journey took a year from July 2015 and took in a host of countries, including Switzerland, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Oman and lastly Iran.

Ms Lowe’s trip was made in the wake of the Arab Spring, the series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa which began in 2010.

Ms Lowe said completing the route was never meant to be a “feat of athleticism”.

Instead, she wanted to shed light on what she deemed a hugely misunderstood and misrepresented area of the world.

She described the trip as a “classic bummel” – a “meandering, wayward and sluggishly satisfying” trip.

As a journalist who specialises in covering stories about the Middle East, human rights and refugee rights, Ms Lowe said she was frustrated by what she sees as increasing fear and mistrust between East and West.

She said: “Countries in the Middle East are far from the volatile hub of fanaticism and terror many believe. They are deeply complex, diverse and rich with contradiction and generally extremely friendly towards visitors, with a strong culture of hospitality.”

“My hope for this trip was to foster a fuller, more nuanced understanding of the region by telling the stories of the ordinary people who live there – the 99.9%, rather than the tiny vocal minority we read about every day.

“The people who often live in difficult conditions under authoritarian regimes, but who wish for nothing more than to live normal, peaceful lives.”

Ms Lowe’s talk will take place at the Salutation Hotel in Perth at 7.30pm on November 7. Tickets will be available at the door or can be booked online until noon on November 6.

Rebecca Lowe wanted to shed light on an area of the world she says is largely misrepresented.