Last weekend I was visiting my family in Scotland for my lovely niece Freya's 11th birthday. My first day up North was spent making small icing sugar cats to adorn a 'Warrior Cats' birthday cake. The second day was visiting a treetop adventure park. I tagged along to watch Freya and my sis' swinging in to action, although I had no intention of joining in. Way too scared to do that. But I still managed to make some time for two lovely swims in amongst all the action.
Loch Venachar
In the Trossachs national park on the way back from tree swinging fun, I persuaded my family to pile out of the car on to the shores of Loch Venachar for a picnic and a quick swim. It was a beautiful late afternoon, around 5pm, sunny and windy. We passed two other lochs – Loch Katrine and another smaller, rounder, loch - before electing to stop at Venachar. Spoiled for choice really. Lochs everywhere. Ironic, my sister pointed out, that there is just so much lovely swimming water around there and I live in London!
It would be amazing to swim all of the lochs in Scotland. Now that would be a massive project!
It's a beautiful Loch.
Long and curvy, tree lined and dotted with sandy beaches, perfect for picknicking - and getting in to the water for a swim. Stationed at the water's edge, along the beach we stopped at on Saturday were, at around 5 metre intervals, dodgy looking anglers in cammo gear. Why, on a sandy beach, on a lochside in Scotland, where nothing remotely resembles jungle, would camouflage be appropriate gear? Why?
Never mind. The anglers were amiable as I wandered up and down the beach, looking for an entry point that would be clear of their fishing lines. "You're no' gonnae swim in this are ye?!" "Hey, you know that the loch is full of 12 foot pike, don't you?" and so on and so forth. Somewhat like the local eccentric, I laughed with them, waded in through the silt, till it was deep enough to be able to swim, and swam off into the loch. Sophie, my sister, sat on the beach watching me as mom and Freya huddled in the shelter of some trees, eating the picnic. The water was beautiful, fresh, peaty, and clear. Little choppy waves slapped around playfully. Water was around 13 degrees, fresh, arms stinging. I swam for about 15 minutes up and down and in and out until a couple of large swans turned up to see what was going on.
Aberdour and the Silver Sands
Sunday I have arranged to meet up with Andrea Gellan who lives close to my mom and is one of Scotland's best open water swimming veterans. We often meet up for a swim when I'm visiting. Just for fun. There aren't many open water swimmers on the East coast of Scotland for Andrea to train with. She does it all on her own. I don't know how she keeps motivating herself when it's just her. She's tough and dedicated, for sure.
We usually swim at Lochore Meadows but we aren't able to do so this weekend so Andrea suggests we swim in the sea in a bay in Aberdour. Silver Sands. We have to meet at high tide at 5pm. It's pretty windy so I phone Andrea just to check that she thinks it's still feasible but she thinks it's going to be fine. She says it's mostly sheltered in this bay which is in a very wide part of the Firth of Forth.
An ariel view of the Silver Sands...
Of course when we meet in the car park it's ridiculously windy and the water is pretty rough. Andrea is in training for a swim around Jersey this year so I am have psyched myself up that she might want to do a long swim. However, thankfully, she has already swum for three hours today so isn't too fussed. And it's cold and windy and ROUGH. We agree to swim along the beach from end to end - parallel to the beach. She tells me that it usually takes her around 15 mins to do a lap of the beach. We start off in the middle and then swim to the left end of the beach. It's again, absolutely beautiful. The waves are big but because we are close to the beach, and there are people around, and we are still swimming in our depth, it feels quite safe. It takes quite a while to get used to the rhythm of the sea again but when I do, wow, it's fun. The sea is full of mashed up sea weed from the wind hurling it around. I get a mouthful which is quite funny.
We spend half an hour swimming up and down, periodically stopping for a quick chat and a laugh. This is about as good as it gets. The sun is out, the water is around 15 C, and it feels quite warm when you are working hard against the waves. I bet it feels warmer in the water than out. When we swim back west I am breathing to the side of the beach and can see tall tall trees - monkey puzzles? - silhouetted against the silver late afternoon sun, and the white white beach. It's stunning. Exhilaratingly.
When we get out of the water Andrea tells me about how there are very bad problems with jellyfish here in the summer and she has to swim in a kind of a full length modesty suit with pop socks on her hands and feet and face. She must look hilarious.
We change in the car park, hug, chat a bit more, and say our goodbyes for another few months.
What a beautiful weekend. Cold, clear, blue, exhilarating. Lovely.
Well, you are busy Sal.
Keeping an eye on you.
I am a big boy now (50).
You should do loch voil thats in close proximatey to where you were.
I think all the lochs sounds a bit mental.Still god put them there for a reason !.
Keep safe
Posted by: Paulie wallie | December 11, 2008 at 01:08 PM
Hi Sal, sounds great fun, how are the kids doing, have you chsoen the teams yet, see you soon in Dover...best wishes Mark
Posted by: Mark | May 30, 2008 at 02:20 PM