‘Oar’some Rowaround Scotland celebrated
across Scotland have celebrated the end of an epic RowAround bid celebrating the country's coast and waters, writes Kathie Griffiths.
Saturday marked the end of an ‘oar'some coastal voyage that has involved more than 1,200 rowers from clubs in Seil, Loch Awe and Mull, and as far apart as Orkney in the north, Annan in the south, Barra in the west and Dunbar in the east passing on a relay baton.
The ambitious challenge that has been two-and-a half years in the making was organised to mark the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association – although this is now the 11th anniversary because Covid pulled the plug on the RowAround in 2020.
To get it done, the attempt had to be compressed into a shorter space of time but it has been worth all the muscle-power put into it, says Sue Fenton from Seil Coastal Rowing Club, who played a key part in its planning.
‘Everyone involved has done a great job. We've had 1,282 rowers from 64 clubs who have covered 750 miles. People have been rowing right up until the last minute,' said Sue, who rowed 120 of those miles with eight different crews on eight separate legs on the way round. Her personal highlight was going through the Dorus Mor at the end of Loch Craignish with its extreme whirlpools.
RowAround Scotland 2021 was supported by the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21, co-ordinated by Event Scotland. The project is also supported by NatureScot, through Plunge In! The Coasts and Waters Community Fund.
‘When we started the Rowaround, it was very hot weather and sweat was dripping off our faces, then we ended in the freezing cold and it being very rough in the Sound of Mull and Ardnamurchan. One extreme to the other, in lots of different ways,' she said.
As part of the challenge, the open-top boats have been trawling for micro-plastics. The last of the sample bottles were handed over to Sue on Sunday to add to the others she has been storing in her shed at home ready to be handed over to researchers for analysis at The Scottish Association for Marine Science near Oban.
‘It's the first time a small boat has done trawls of this kind for micro-plastics round Scotland. We've done 54 of them and the findings will eventually be written up in a paper we hope will benefit the planet and our seas. The information it will give is a kind of legacy from the RowAround,' added Sue.
On Saturday, founding members of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association 11 years ago rowed along Loch Tummel to the sailing club where they were met with cheers and handed over the RowAround relay batons to members of new clubs who have only launched skiffs for the first time this year. One of the specially-made batons will be going to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther for safekeeping and a reminder of RowAround's achievement.
Boatie Blest from Cockenzie and Port Seton, Ullapool, North Berwick, RowPorty from Portobello and Coigach were the original clubs. The newest clubs to join are from Wigtown Bay, Loch Tay and Royal Northern and Clyde.
More photographs at www.obantimes.co.uk