The background to the challenge is my dad was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis around 35 years ago when I was just a teenager, we were told he’d have a max of 5 years to live, however due in part to my dads stubbornness and in large part to the NHS he passed in February this year, some 35 years after being told he only had 5! My whole family obviously really appreciate these extra 30 years he had with us meeting his grandchildren and having time with my mam. This is why I thought Asthma & Lung UK (formerly British Lung Foundation) should be repaid some of what they had given us and if it allowed some other families this special extra time it would be worth my while.

I’d mentioned before to friends etc that I thought I could complete the Glen in under 24 hours given favourable weather conditions etc so I decided to go for it, and to make it a bit more of a challenge to do it solo. I had  a bit of a window to work with around 22nd June give or take a few days. This was around the Solstis, so longest day and the moon would be full. Checking every weather forecast I could find I want happy until a few days before, I wanted SW winds in the range of F3 to f6 Beaufort to give best chance of under 24 hours and not be too big to make it too dangerous for me. As the day approached the weather was in the S to SW direction and a forecast F2 gusting F5 maximum so I decided to go for it.

I’d already started a just giving page hoping to raise £1000 for Asthma & Lung UK and at this point £980 had already been donated, so because friends/family had already been so generous I was feeling more pressure to complete it. Usually on commercial trips we start at the top of Neptunes staircase Locks and finish at Muirtown Locks to avoid huge portages at the start and finish but as people had been so generous I thought it best to do the full route. Feet in the Water at Corpach launching ramp and again at Clachnaharry on the East coast.

Loch Ness I thought would be my biggest challenge so I decided to leave at 7pm from Corpach meaning I would do Loch Lochy and Loch Oich in the dark.

The start went well, 7pm on the 21stand I had live tracking for donors to follow me. Portage to start, then some canal section and before I knew it I was at Gsirlochy Lochs. Quite a long portage then onto Loch Lochy. This would be my chance to get my sail up and some speed! However I was pretty disheartened as I saw Loch Lochy looking like glass on the surface. Beautiful sight but not what I wanted! So sail away and start paddling again!

By the time I got to Loch Oich nothing had improved, still no wind and darkness descended and on entering Loch Oich the mist descended too.

Visibility was very poor, barely able to see the end of my boat I was relying on maps and my Silva 58 compass attached to my canoe sea kayak style!

My shoulders now hurting a bit I was cursing the non existent wind, and while starting to get tired, dark, mist my mind started playing games. Bears and Loch Oich monsters everywhere I looked, not a scary experience but certainly unpleasant. I also felt sorry for the campers along the Loch banks who I heard comments from as they heard something large splashing in the middle of Loch Oich which they couldn’t see.

At the end of Loch Oich I originally intended to drop onto River Oich to make my life easier but due to visibility I decided not to. Paddling a G2 river in zero visibility with overhanging trees was plain stupid so I continued on the canal, however at Kytra locks visibility had improved so I dropped over the short bank onto the River Oich.

Not very fast flowing but a slight reprieve onto Fort Augustus and a sunrise over the mighty Loch Ness.

I had my breakfast here with my jetboil and dehydrated foods around 4am. My halfway point and 3 hours ahead of schedule to complete within 24 hours despite no wind! This really boosted me – this was the point I knew I could do it.

Loch Ness still had no wind, occasional gusts but from random directions but nothing constant made using my sail more a hindrance and liability than a help so off I went – paddling again!

Loch Ness just took forever – paddling forward looking at and end that never arrived. Eventually I entered Loch End, with the pain in my shoulders very noticeable. Loch end was strange, as the wind was gusting from random directions LochEnd managed to have waves around 2-3 feet, very random, bouncing off each other, along with the wash from larger boats meant my boats was bobbing all over and difficult to keep going the direction I wanted. However soon it was over.

In entering loch Dochfour I felt wind on my back! Constant, refreshing and strong! Quickly getting my endless river sail up I managed to sail all 2km of Loch Dochfour. Not great but a huge boost to my morale! Then entering the final canal system I had to fold my sail away as sailing is not permitted in the canals.

Doch Garrock locks went ok, but after this the pain set in. I had pain in my shoulders, my arms, my knees my hips and blisters all over my hands. I was actually looking forward to portaging the locks as a chance to get out this boat!!!

My average speed dropped from 5km/h to 2.5 as I struggled to paddle this final canal section, however 19 hours and 95 km later I dipped my toe in the East Coast of Scotland. Satisfying my fundraisers, raising some money for Asthma & Lung UK and hoping my dad would’ve enjoyed this trip also.