A team of charity fundraisers have been forced to abandon a swim to St Kilda due to dangerous seas.

A “massive“ swell up to seven-foot high proved far too hazardous for their support kayakers and the feat could not safely continue.

Swimmers - who were taking 45-minute turns in relay formation - were instructed to call off the attempt early this morning.

They had swum about 20 miles - a third of the way - and conditions got too dangerous to lower their safety kayak into the sea.

The adventurers set off from Huisinish on Harris just before 1pm on Sunday, hoping to beat the forecasts of gale force winds and rough seas for midweek.

But big waves crashed into their support vessel, the Oban-based Kyle Bhan, which was rolling very heavily from side to side in the open water.

Support kayaks were being bashed about and could not be lowered into the sea in the dark in such dangerous conditions.

Kayakers are essential safety measures - they paddled alongside the swimmers to monitor their safety and to pull them out if in difficulties.

Swimmers were fine ploughing through the swell but the lack of safety back-up forced organisers to stop the challenge around 5.30am on Monday morning.

Swimmer Eilidh Whiteford said: “We had gone 19 miles and then the swell came up.

“The swell was about five to seven feet high and it was just got too dangerous to put the kayaks in and out of the boat overnight.”

She highlighted the sea almost engulfed her even while she was still on the main vessel.

Eilidh explained: “At one point, I was on the dive ladder to go in and the sea covered me right up to my chest.

“It was a massive swell.”

It meant they could not swim during the hours of darkness, she highlighted.

Eilidh added: “We could not swim overnight without kayakers.

She continued: “All was going well. It was just the getting the kayaks in and out of the boat.”

The team will rest on St Kilda tonight and return to Harris on the MV Kyle Bhan.

They are fundraising for three good causes - Yorkhill Children’s Charity, the Leanne Fund and The Fishermen’s Mission plus the chance to make history was driving the team on.

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.

For months the swimmers had been training hard at local beaches and were looking forward to the challenge.

St Kilda swimmers forced to abandon challenge 30/6/14