A hardy group of adventurers are anxiously checking the weather as they set off on a challenge to be the first people to swim to St Kilda.
The team of nine will face giant jellyfish, octopus, whales and unpredictable currents as they tackle chilly seas for the 60 mile relay into the Atlantic Ocean.
If the easterly wind affecting the islands at the moment eases then the swimmers intend to rush off from Huisinish on the west coast in Harris sometime this weekend.
But they only have a three day weather window to complete the swim as conditions are predicted to worsen from late Tuesday.
All going well they plan to complete the challenge -
They will be accompanied by three kayakers and a support boat.
In 2012, the group swam the Minch in relay formation between Ullapool and Stornoway, fending off whales and dolphins to average a speed of 1.5 knots. It took the Big Minch Swim Team 34 hours and they raised almost £23,500 for RNLI lifeboats.
The swimmers have been training hard at local beaches and are looking forward to setting off though some are wary if they encounter sea monsters.
Team leader Colin Macleod says they are all ready and eager to go.
The 42-
“There’s a weather window we have to go with -
He said they get an updated weather forecast on Saturday and the final decision will be made by the skipper of the support boat.
Encounters with sea creatures lurking under the surface are being put to the back of his mind, particularly as they stumbled into a pod of killer whales on the Big Minch Swim in 2012.
Mr Macleod said: “Its best not thinking about these things. We just want to get on with the job in hand and be the first ones to swim to St Kilda.
They were motivated to undertake the challenge as “St Kilda is such a magical place and to raise as much money for charity.”
Swimmer Eilidh Whiteford is apprehensive about “what may be out there,” particularly if shoals of tunas are around.
She said: “They can swim at up to 43mph and I can’t swim that fast. That’s all that‘s scaring me.”
Eilidh is very excited about the event -
She said: “We have to swim during the night. Luckily at this time of year its not going to get that dark for long.
“We got glowsticks on our backs so they can see us. The (support) kayaks are covered in glowsticks and lights so we can see them. You just have to put your head down and get on with it.
“We been training regularly at Coll beach and swimming over to Pabbay island (in Uig). Getting in the sea all the time, that’s the main training. You could swim in a pool but swimming in the sea is very different.”
Donations to the charity challenge can be made via www.stkildaswim.co.uk
