Fundraiser completes Pentland Firth swim

A Fraserburgh man who set out to swim the Pentland Firth earlier today has completed his fundraising challenge after a grueling four hours and ten minutes in the water.

Mark “Scratch” Cameron, an offshore worker and seven-time Scottish surfing champion, took to the water at Burwick, South Ronaldsay at around 4.10pm today. Accompanied by a support boat, Mr Cameron, 40, reached the shore on the other side, near Duncansby Head, sometime just before 8.20pm tonight.

Mr Cameron decided to take on the seven-mile swim across the Firth in memory of his girlfriend Ena Brown, who died suddenly earlier this year. Money raised through the challenge will be going to the Kirkwall Maternity Ward, where Ena had worked.

Speaking tonight, Monday, following the swim, he said: “It was a grind, I was swimming for over four hours and I never stopped for one second, I just ploughed on the whole way.

“It was quite choppy to start with but it got better as I went on. Things eased off after about an hour or so. I knew I had it in me, I was just worried about the conditions changing and having to pull the plug, so I couldn’t relax during the swim. I went through all sorts of emotions – I was confident and I had moments of doubt.

“That last hour was a real grind, I must confess. I could see Duncansby Head in the foreground and I didn’t think I had long to go, but I was scared to ask. I had thought I had about 15 minutes to go, but I had an hour-and-a-half to go. It was real tough going.”

“I’ve done marathons, I’ve won Scottish championship surfing titles, but that’s the toughest thing I’ve done.

Asked how he felt following the swim, he replied: “I feel a big weight off my shoulders. If this hadn’t happened this week we would have been looking at next summer. I feel I’ve achieved something, I know this has been done before once or twice before, but this is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s very rewarding. All that stress is worth it.”

A fundraising web page for the swim is available here.