The Highlands and the Highland Islands are amongst some of the United Kingdom’s treasures; although the area is visited by mass tourism, the coastline still retains it’s original wilderness, with strong tidal currents, fog, small islands and cliffs, that have challenged more than one ship’s keel.
The Highlands are surrounded by an air of mystery, separated from the rest of Scotland by the Great Glen, an extremely long crack in the earth filled with valleys and lakes, that in 1822 became a naval passage thanks to the opening of the Caledonian Canal, which allows ships to avoid the difficult passage round Cape North.
Thanks to this canal, we can circumnavigate the highlands clock-wise, through the Hebredies, passing the dangerous Cape and crossing Penthland Firth, which separates the Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea, covering about 1000 kms in a month.
On board of three kayaks model 526, designed and built by Seakayak Design, sturdy and modern vessels with waterproof lockers for camping apparel, we shall try to circumnavigate the Highlands in June 2008. The SKD Adventure Team, which includes expert kayakers, has already been tested on other long and difficult journeys. Safety is guaranteed by modern apparatus, technical ability, physical preparation, detailed knowledge of the itinerary, and constant team work.
Only a few world-famous kayakers have successfully circumnavigated the Highlands, but, to our knowledge, no Italian teams have yet made this trip. Technical difficulties include the infamous tidal races, fog, and high tides (over 4 metres): just a few of the challenges which will allow us to test materials and modern technologies in extreme navigation conditions. |
