Islay Masters Swim the Corryvreckan Whirlpool

Not content with soundly besting the cold waters and strong tides of the Sound of Islay, the Islay Masters Swimming Club decided to up the ante and swim the Gulf of Corryvreckan! For those not in the know, the Corryvreckan is a narrow strait between the northernmost tip of Jura and the small island of Scarba. Strong Atlantic currents and unusual underwater topography conspire to produce an intense tidal race in the Corryvreckan channel. As the flood tide enters the narrow area between the two islands it speeds up to 8.5 knots and, in combination with a deep hole and a rising pinnacle on the seabed, creates surface effects such as whirlpools and standing waves. When on full song, the Corryvreckan is the third largest whirlpool in the world and can be heard up to ten miles away. Given that the likes of George Orwell and his son managed to shipwreck themselves when they attempted to sail across the gulf, the sea conditions seem hardly ideal for boating, let alone swimming!

Islay Masters: James, Karen, Shona, Amy, Donnie(Islayseasafari skipper), Sandy, Iain and Jack

Nevertheless, on Thursday 23rd August several hardy members of the Islay Masters Swimming Club clambered aboard the Shannick of Islay (kindly piloted by Donnie MacKinnon and run by Islay Sea Safari), left Port Ellen and headed up to the Corryvreckan for a rendezvous with Swim Trek, the swimming holiday operators. The swimmers then jumped into the freezing waters, touched the rocks on the Island of Jura and swam over the gulf to Scarba. As the tides were turning at the time, it was a race to complete the swim before the currents became too strong. However, all of the intrepid participants coped admirably with the inhospitable waters and were picked up safely after reaching Scarba. The members of the Club who took part in the swim and lived to tell the tale were Amy Logan, Iain Spears, Jack Glover, James McGregor, Karen Siddall, Louise Gregory, Sandy MacLean and Shona Ramsay. Heartfelt thanks go to Donnie MacKinnon of Islay Sea Safari who provided the transport to and from the Corryvreckan and to Colin Dempster, who stepped in at short notice to help Donny run the boat. More pictures of the Corryvreckan trip are available here.

This story was published with kind permission from The Ileach - Community Newspaper of the year.