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Welcome to SwimCamping,
Part 1: Land |
Welcome to SwimCamping,
Part 2: Water |
Welcome to SwimCamping,
Part 3: Detailed Kit |
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A roasting hot misty Thursday morning in North Harris led me to revert to plan B which was to walk out the Uladal path, reaching Loch Uladal then walking up and between Feadan Dirisgil and Mas a Chnoic-Chuairtich before going down into Gleann Bhearraraigh to check out the beehive dwellings there (I also had a few mouthfuls of water from the nearby river - nice and fresh) and next it was up and over again towards my goal of Loch Uiseadair where I had hoped to camp on the big Island on it but it looked too heathery (if there's such a word?) so I found a decent place further along the loch to pitch my tent and to settle down for the night after a swim and dinner. In the morning I checked out a different set of beehive dwellings which nestle where the rivers of Gleann Dubh and Lòn na Graidhe combine eventually feeding into Loch Uiseadair further downstream. I mostly followed the Lòn na Graidhe stream up to the top of the hill and skirted slowly around Ceartabhal (was lots of deer here) to come down Sgarbh Choinneach picking up the Bràigh Bheagarais river leading me to the Gleann Leosaid path (which I'm familiar with) and finally back to the wee bridge and a short walk to the van. Was good to meet Mr Harris365 (Gordon) and Innes too. Absolutely loved my SwimCamp adventure in the Forest of Harris with breathtaking scenery, I hope to be back there again soon. Click here to watch the YouTube Video from the outing.
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Hiked out to the Conachro Bay tidal pool with Phil and Zoe who were visiting from the mainland. The water was nice and warm for a swim. It has an abundance of wildlife above and below the water. After the swim, Phil and Zoe headed back and I crossed over to the lush green land at the head of the tidal pool. Unfortunately it was too windy to camp on top of the hill, erring on the side of caution I pitched my tent beside the wee lochan. In the morning I crossed the pool again and hiked back to the van, getting absolutely soaked in the heavy rain. Still, the views are really worth it. Click here to view the YouTube Video from the outing. Definitely a SwimCamp to remember is this one, with Stuart, Dave and myself swimming from Bosta beach over to the shore at Little Bernera before heading across to the next bay to re-enter the sea there and swim over to Eilean fir Chrothair (initially checking out a cool cave) and landing there to check out the old beehives and to get the panoramic views. It was back in the sea for our third swim of the day going over to Cealasaigh. As we set up camp, the skies looked a bit dark and I got an alert from my lightning tracker app. Very quickly the thunderstorm was upon us (see the short clip of the rain battering on my tent) and it was hugely noisey and wet for at least 45 minutes before it blew through past us. We could still see lightning in the distance. Scarey biscuits 🤣 We survived and then it was dinner, drinks and yarn's. In the morning we sorted out our SwimCamping gear into our waterproof rucksacks and swam across to one of the beaches on Little Bernera, hiking overland to a small bay next to the kyles so the three of us could swim through it with the current. Some of the time we just floated with the current ☺️ Then it was back to Bosta beach again where we started from. A wonderful adventure and I'm sure we'll be talking about it for a long time yet. SwimCamping is a great pastime and it doesn't cost much to do at all. If this is something that you're interested in, feel free to get in touch with us. We don't do this for money, we do it for free, for the love. Click here to view the YouTube Video from the outing. After a busy week at work and glorious weather, what better way to enjoy the weekend by going SwimCamping over to the island of Fuaigh Mòr which sits between Bernera and Uig. Stuart and myself swam from the old fish farm slipway near Valasay to Eunaigh Mòr which turned out to be a bird haven, where we got zoomed in footage (from a distance) of bird eggs and possibly a baby gul too. Amazing to see. Then from there we swam over to Fuaigh Mòr, exiting at the main bay on the island. We were only there for about half an hour before our friends Dave and Helen arrived in their kayaks. Once sorted and also with midge nets on we hiked up to the top of the hill to get a good panoramic view plus hopefully a breeze (which didn't really happen till the morning) though the 360 scenery was just outstanding. The rain started during the night then got heavier but eased off by mid morning though Stuart and myself, after saying goodbye to Dave and Helen, headed down the hill and into the sea at Mol Mòr swimming round passed the fish farm and we got through the gap at Eunaigh Mòr before heading back to the slipway we started from. A fantastic way to relax and chill out with friends. Click here to find out more about Fuaigh Mòr. Music is by Beluga Lagoon. Click here to visit their website. Click here to view the YouTube Video from the outing. I headed over to Mangersta, Uig for a SwimCamp at Skebadale bay. It's a short 25 minute walk out and after pitching my Trekmates Squall Bivi I went for a swim in the sea where I managed to get through the arch but found it to be a bit swirly so I headed back through again. Lot's of different kinds of bird's about and some make the oddest of noises (like a yelping dog - listen to the video). It rained through the night and was gusty too but the Squall stayed firm although there was a bit of condensation inside the bivi but I put that down to me. The sunny morning made me feel like going for a dook in the sea in my pants and rash vest which I really enjoyed and it freshened me up. I got spooked by an eagle on the drive back home near Loch Croistean as it flew down the road towards me and over the top of the van. What an end to my SwimCamp adventure All music is by Alex Blue Ps, thanks to Shona for letting us know it's a Common Sandpiper making it's presence known Click here to view the YouTube Video from the outing. Dave, Stuart and myself had our first SwimCamp outing in Point, which was in the village of Sheshader, starting with a hike over to a bay for a swim through some crystal clear water (check out the arch that Stuart and myself get through) before heading up to the top of Dun Dubh where we camped for the night. The views from the summit are just outstanding even on a rainy misty day. We'll definitely be back there again... All music is by Beluga Lagoon - Click here to visit their website Click here to view the YouTube Video from the outing. Awesome SwimCamping outing with Joseph (who paddled alongside me) to the end of Seaforth Island. The water was very clear and there was an abundance of sealife to be seen below. After picking a spot to set camp we had dinner then got a wee fire going to keep us warm. In the morning, Joseph and myself hiked up to the summit to get the views, which are spectacular, before heading back across to mainland Lewis and to our vehicle's. It's a beautiful island that's for sure but it can be boggy and slippy in places. Mind your step ☺️ Thanks to Joseph for keeping me company and for the photos which are at the end of the swim clips (in the video). All music is by Beluga Lagoon Click here to view the YouTube video from the outing. *Amateur video alert* My first pitch of the Vango Neon UL1 Tent. Yes, I should have read the instructions before putting it up. Yes, I'll be swapping the insanely light/bendy/easy to lose pegs that came with it for my own preferred pegs. I'll certainly be practicing pitching the tent a few more times before I use it for SwimCamping. To be honest, I'm a 3 season camper so I'll probably not get to use the Neon now till next year but it definitely was a good bargain in the sale. Music is by Diverse music. Click here for the link to the YouTube Review video Click here for the Vango Neon UL1 link Click here for the Sea to Summit Sleep Matt link Click here for the Vango Cobra 200 Sleeping Bag link Click here for the Sea to Summit Aeros light inflatable pillow link A fantastic time trialling out my new Alpkit Elan bivi bag on top of beinn mhor, aird ranish, north lochs. After having a look at the weather, I could fit in a quick overnighter between my shifts at work. so all good. A wee 15-20 minute swim over to the usual bay, taking time to maneuver past the kreel ropes whilst making sure that none got tangled on my Lomo rucksack. Then it was around a 30 minute walk over to and up beinn mhor. There is so much to see from up on the hill with the bivi being the ideal piece of kit for the SwimCamp. Bivi'ing under the milky way, seeing a faint glimmer of the northern lights over broadbay, shooting stars, satellites bumbling along, sunset and boats out on the minch were just some of the highlights of my short time on the hill. I'd definitely agree with other bloggers who say that there's a time and a place for a bivi (especially without an extra tarp cover), thankfully this was the right time and place for me. Was great being able to sit up or lie down in my sleeping bag, on top of my mat with the Elan slightly unzipped, so I could enjoy the views around and/or above. Loved it. Click here for a link to the YouTube Video from the outing. Thanks to BestOutdoors for a mention in their online magazine article about SwimPacking/SwimCamping/SwimHiking. Click on the paragraph below to be taken to the full article: As wildswimming becomes more and more popular, those looking for the next level will find them self looking into swimpacking (Swim packing), swimcamping (swim camping) and Swimhiking (swim hiking) for their next level swim fix. Just as backpackers and bike packers take everything with them in one bag to sustain their wild adventures, swimpackers do the same. Hiking across remote areas, swimming across rivers, lochs and bays to find the perfect location for exploring and camping. This allows swimpackers to enjoy swimpacking adventures, places and experiences that very few people have. Like a 100 mile adventure up the west coast of Scotland, where no roads or lack of transport will hinder the adventure. Or deciding to swim from island to island in a large lake or off the coast. If you are a seasoned open water swimmer and you’re now inspired to try some swimpacking then read on for our full swimpacking gear guide.  |
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