A GERMAN woman is preparing for an almost 1000-mile marathon bicycle ride from her home in Germany to Scotland – as a show of support for Scottish independence.

Eva Gerber, a social media and online media manager, will start her epic ride on July 1 from her home in the Bavarian city of Wurzburg.

The 54-year-old mother of four grown-up children and two grandsons has only been to Scotland once before, but said she would love to live and work here.

She told The National: “When I first came to Scotland in 2012 I fell in love with the people, the country and the culture of Scotland. Since then, I’ve planned on living in Scotland.

“People there deserve to live a better life,” she said, adding that after two referendums, coupled with Theresa May’s departure announcement and Brexit looming on the horizon, “we have to stick together”.

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“I want to send a sign to the people in Germany, Netherlands, north England and Scotland, that there is no way back to the old status quo of Scotland in the EU. With or without Brexit, it is time for Scotland to leave the UK for good.”

Although she plans to live in Scotland, Gerber said she appreciated from friends that Brexit has ensured it will not be easy: “They told me that Brexit has made it already difficult for EU citizens to live in Scotland. That made me very upset, because I know from a long time watching the relationship between England and Scotland, that England for 312 years puts everything of Scotland down, for its own good.

“Now, because indyref2 is coming up, the Yes movement needs every support to show that Scotland is fed up with the Westminster Government. I would love to work and live in Scotland, if and when it is possible for me. Also, I would love to show people how to take care of their own dreams, visions and goals.”

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She said that if Scotland were to be dragged out of Europe by Brexit, there would be “one more European country missing”, and added: “I see that the human rights of the Scots would be kicked if Scotland has to leave, even when Scotland said ‘no’ to Brexit. For me, as a German European, it has always been unreal that Scotland was forced to stay in the UK. Now I am ready to do my job by riding my bike from Germany to Scotland to show my locality and love to Scotland.”

Gerber will document her journey on her Facebook page, “Independent Scotland – From Germany to Scotland by Bike”, and is helping fund it through an online appeal at www.gofundme.com/independent-scotlandfrom-germany-to-scotland