In May 2025 I will take my sea kayak on a 900km journey round the heart of Scotland. If you’re a regular commuter on the M8 you’ll probably associate “The Heart of Scotland” with the Harthill service station – that is definitely not my destination. I’m choosing to have a more expansive view of the heart of Scotland: the land mass north of the Forth and Clyde valleys and south of the Great Glen.
The route will take me up to Inverness via the four navigable Scottish canals and west coast, and then back to Edinburgh on the east coast.
That’s the plan anyway, but, as we all know, plans don’t always work out. Last year’s plan was to cycle the Rhine with Wendy, my wife. Wendy did all the planning hard work and we were going to set off around this time last year. It was then that I started on a different journey – a journey of discovery about a disease called sarcoidosis. It took many months before I was diagnosed, but I was destined to learn a lot about a condition I never knew existed before. Compared to many others, I have had it relatively easy so far. I’ve decided to use this trip to help raise awareness of the disease and, hopefully, raise some money for SarcoidosisUK – a charity that does a superb job assisting sufferers and raising money to help fund much needed research.
On my paddling journey I’ll be writing regular posts and my location will be updated via a satellite Spot device to a map. I have also provided some more specific details about The Man, The Boat, The Team, and The Cause in the About sections of this site.
Latest post:
- Edinburgh Canal Festival
It was great to have the opportunity to get involved in the Edinburgh Canal Festival last weekend. Many thanks to Fiona, Rachel, and the rest of the team at Fountainbridge… Read more: Edinburgh Canal Festival
One Man And His Boat 