WILLIE Rennie MSP isn’t blaming the Scottish Coal Carrying Championships in Kelty for being a pain in the neck.

The Scottish Lib Dems leader went under the knife last month and parliamentary colleagues assumed the op was down to the village’s traditional gruelling contest.

But Mr Rennie said it had rock all to do with the race – which sees participants trying to run with a 25kg bag of coal on their back – although he’s announced he’ll never enter it again.

He said, “Many of my friends and work colleagues have jumped to the conclusion that the coal race was to blame for my injury. “I had to gently point out to the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick that the coal bag was being unfairly accused. “I certainly punished my body training and humping that bag of coal over the one kilometre course but the real culprit was a rock in my garden. “It was the rock garden, not the coal race, that earned me a place on the operating table.” Mr Rennie had a disc replaced in his neck last month after it was damaged trying to move the rocks in his garden last year. Despite continuing to train, running in the Lomond and Ochil hills, he said the problem only got worse and forced him to seek medical advice. He was once runner up in Kelty’s Scottish Coal Carrying Championship and competed three times.

Mr Rennie added, “I will always be proud of my coal race participation. It wasn’t pain free but the exhilaration I felt crossing the line is something I still feel now. I received the best guidance before taking part in the race.

“Jock Hargreaves from Kelty trained his two sons to victory for many years and tutored me before the big race. “No one should take part in the race without proper advice and training but it’s a great event if you get a chance to take part.

“Now I am recovering from the operation at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital. They replaced the damaged disc with a new artificial version and now the pain has gone. “Even if my coal carrying days are over I hope to be back out running on the hills before long thanks to the brilliance of the doctors and nurses that cared for me.”