Swimmers dodge jellyfish on four islands challenge

A group of swimmers who battled huge swells, strong currents and stinging jellyfish are believed to have become the first people to swim between four islands in the Firth of Forth.

The Salty Selkies - who take their name from a Celtic mythical creature which could change from seal to human form - swam for more than six miles (10km) from the Bass Rock to Craigleith, Lamb and Fidra.

All eight swimmers completed the challenge without having to stop on the middle islands for a rest.

But they admitted it was hard not to think about the creatures that might be "lurking in the depths" during the challenge.

The group trained for more than a year for the event, which started with them jumping off the Bass Rock, a rocky outcrop which is home to one of the largest gannet colonies in the world.

Swimmer Jeremy Milne, 52, from North Berwick, told BBC Scotland: "It was the roughest conditions I've done and the boat ride to the start was like a rollercoaster, it was quite a swell.

"I took seasickness tablets but by the end of the swim I was feeling very sick and exhausted and my energy levels were low from not being able to eat much due to the sickness.

"I also had cramps in my quads and hamstrings so every time I felt a twinge I had to stop kicking."

When they reached the end of their challenge at Fidra the waves made it it too treacherous for them to reach the finish line in the harbour as originally planned.

Mr Milne said: "When I was told we would need to swim around to the other side of the island I felt exhausted and I wanted to get out.

"The massive cramps were the most painful part of it and also I had a swollen tongue from taking in gulps of seawater."

He ended up swimming on his back in a bid to relieve his exhaustion.

Jo Lindsay is one of the seven women in the team.

The 43-year-old said she had not planned to attempt the whole course.

She said: "This was a big thing for me because our training swims were in shallow water so it was a mental shift to overcome the deep water.

"It took my breath away when we jumped off the steps.

"In our training swims there was always a point to swim for, such as a lobster pot or a buoy, but there was nothing like that on this swim so we knew how far we had gone or to give us a feeling of progression. Each island was difficult to see over the huge swell."

On the first and longest section of the challenge she said she felt anxious.

She said: "I started really questioning what I was doing. I couldn't see the bottom. Then I saw the lion's mane jellyfish below me.

"When you're swimming in a vast expanse like that it is easy for it to come into your head about the creatures that might lurk in the depths.

"I tried to put it out of my mind and to keep swimming."

She said she was "amazed and delighted" when she reached the end of the challenge.

The oldest in the group was 70-year-old former GB world age group triathlete Linda Malcolm, who completed the course 30 minutes before the others.

She said: "I feel fitter than I ever have. If you don't use it you lose it and I have always kept it up.

"I absolutely loved this challenge. It was the farthest I have ever swam and I felt elevated and elated."

The group were swimming for a mental health charity, the Laura Hyde Foundation.

Claire Gardner, from North Berwick, said they had kayakers to protect and guide them. They also dropped jelly babies into the swimmers' mouths.

The swimmers carried water to drink in bottles attached to their tow floats, which are used for visibility.

The 48-year-old said: "This was a year in the planning and we put a lot of thought into all the safety measures.

"We came across several lion's mane jellyfish, which can give a nasty sting, but thankfully we avoided injury.

"This was an incredible challenge and one we're so jubilant and excited to have achieved."

And she said one of the highlights was when Uri Geller, who owns the Island of Lamb, tweeted about them passing his island.

Geller also later congratulated the swimmers.