One man and his dog ... in a boat

One man and his dog are stopping off in Courier Country during an epic journey around the UK coast in a small boat.

Peter Matheson and his border collie pup, Elsa, are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the Petal Childhood Cancer Research charity in his Bumble Ahoy challenge.

The former police officer from Essex, who now lives near Wick, bought and repaired a boat, and he will circumnavigate the UK with it before travelling back to Wick Harbour – which could take six months.

Peter visited Stonehaven yesterday and goes to Arbroath today and Anstruther on Monday.

In 2014, he decided to drive an old tractor from John O’Groats, to the top of Europe, Nordkapp in Norway, and back again, each time via Land’s End, with Amber, his Labrador.

The venture took just under six months, over some 8,000 miles at 12mph, on a 40-year-old open Massey Ferguson 135, named Annie.

Then in 2015, Amber and Peter circumnavigated the Emerald Isle, northern and southern Ireland, on Annie, the same tractor, over some 3,500 miles, taking three months.

On both occasions, Peter fundraised for three cancer charities as well as Unicef and now the focus has centred on childhood cancer, after friends of Peter’s lost their son to cancer, aged just 19.

To donate, visit www.relay. cancerresearchuk.org/petal and visit Bumble Ahoy Team.