Outlander star Sam Heughan will lead more than 100 motorcyclists across his home region of Dumfries and Galloway this weekend.
The event will begin and end at the actor’s Galloway Distillery near Newton Stewart, with entries still open to more riders.
The 46-year-old actor told the Press Association that he wants Ride Galloway to shine a spotlight on where he’s from.
“It’s a celebration of Galloway,” he said.
“I’ve ridden in Nepal, in Mexico, in America and all over, but actually some of the best riding is here in Scotland – and not many people really know the south-west of Scotland.
“So what we’re trying to do is encourage people to come down and spend some time with us over the weekend.”
The two-day Ride Galloway event will take motorcyclists 130 miles through Dumfries and Galloway and encourage people to discover the beautiful landscapes of south-west Scotland.
“Part of the wonderful thing of Scotland is that tourists come here and they love it and they know a lot about it, especially from the show that I was in – Outlander – but they go north,” Heughan said.
“They always go up to Glencoe, the Isle of Skye and the NC500, and actually they’re missing out on a huge part of Scotland.
“It is quite different. (The south-west) has got rolling hills, it’s very green, it has ancient history, it has a really interesting history with Catholicism and with the Romans coming there, and also the Irish and the Vikings. There’s so much to explore.”
Best known for playing 18th century Scotsman Jamie Fraser in the Outlander television series, Heughan said he is a “huge motorbike fan”, but only took up the hobby recently.
“I never thought I would be,” the actor told PA.
“I kind of got into it just after Covid and I have had the most amazing experiences, whether it’s riding down the Florida Keys to Key West or riding in Mexico in the highlands of Jalisco, to going up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in Los Angeles or riding around Scotland.
He added: “Actually, Scotland has got some amazing roads and it’s a really wonderful way to sort of see the country.”
Heughan grew up in the area and co-owns the Galloway Distillery with business partner Alex Norouzi.
Ride Galloway will start on Saturday, with food, live music and bike displays at the distillery in Newton Stewart before the ride-out on Sunday morning.
The route covers more than 130 miles in two loops: the first around the Machars peninsula, with coastal views towards the Galloway Hills, and the second east along the A75 through Newton Stewart and into the Galloway Forest.