Pupils and staff at Lockerbie Academy will mark the upcoming 30th anniversary of the air disaster in their town by helping “complete” the journey that was never finished by 35 university students on Pan Am flight 103.

The Scottish Parliament today remembered the 259 passengers and crew aboard and 11 residents of Lockerbie who were killed on 21 December 1988.

MSPs noted that a number of commemorative events are planned, including a challenge involving a team of cyclists who will journey from Lockerbie Academy to Syracuse University, covering 3,238 miles.

The team will include Lockerbie Academy headteacher Brian Asher - who is new to cycling - as well as representatives of the police, fire and rescue, ambulance and mountain rescue services.

The idea is to finish the journey of 35 students who had been travelling from Frankfurt to Syracuse University on Pan Am 103, but never made it home.

The first stage of the journey will see over 1,600 pupils from the academy and surrounding primary schools - which is in Dumfries and Galloway - “crossing” the Atlantic by riding the equivalent distance on exercise bikes or their own bikes.

MSPs also acknowledged the importance of the Lockerbie Scholarship, which sees two of the school’s pupils study at Syracuse University each year, with 58 scholars having taken part so far. They agreed that the cycling challenge embodies the motto of the remembrance scholarship program, “look back and act forward”.

In the past few minutes, Dumfriesshire MSP Oliver Mundell said that perhaps the “only universally positive thing” to come from the disaster was the strong bond between people affected on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, and that this was best exemplified by the enduring relationship between Lockerbie Academy and Syracuse University.

Of the cycle challenge, Mr Mundell said: “The symbolism of the journey is undeniable.”

He added that he knew of P7 pupils (aged 10 or 11) who were already planning on becoming Syracuse scholars.