I cross the Kessock Bridge from the Black Isle to the Highlands city of Inverness several times each week, by car, bike and on foot – and looking down on the dark waters of the Beauly Firth I could never have imagined it was possible to swim from the south to the north shore.
I wasn’t even sure I would like to attempt such a feat, given the look of the tides and currents and the thought of the cold sea water.
But when I heard of an event, the Kessock Ferry Swim, which offers swimmers the chance to cross from one shore to the other – and back again – it planted a small seed in my mind.
Three years after that germ of an idea, I found myself standing on the slipway at South Kessock on the city side of the firth, wearing an open water swimming wetsuit, neoprene socks and gloves and looking out at the (thankfully) calm waters.
What is the Kessock Ferry swim?
The Kessock Ferry Swim is organised by outdoor education charity Àban Outdoor Ltd. The event – crossing an iconic sea straight near Inverness – was revived in 2022 after a break of 50 years.
Before the Kessock Bridge was opened in 1982, the Kessock ferry travelled the stretch of tidal sea water, taking foot and vehicle passengers between South Kessock and North Kessock.
The ferry crossing route gave rise to the idea of a swim for local people and in 1947, the first Kessock Ferry Swim was hosted by the former London Midland Scottish (LMS) Amateur Swimming Club. The event carried on until 1968 and usually 20 to 30 swimmers, some as young as eight years old, took on the challenge.
Back then, sea swimming and competitions were quite common in the Highlands but they started to die out with the introduction of indoor pools.
In 2022, Aban decided to relaunch the swim event, albeit with some new precautions in place, as regulations now require experienced safety support crew for the Kessock Ferry Swim. Participants must also be at least 12 years old and only those aged at least 18 have the option not to wear a wetsuit. Every swimmer must also use a high visibility tow float.
The Kessock Ferry Swim took place on August 31 this year. The date and time varies each year because, for maximum safety, the sea water needs to be at high tide and with enough 'slack water' - water that isn't moving strongly in either tidal direction - for participants to complete the crossing both ways.
This distance is around 1,300 yards / 1,200m total, although this can vary, depending on tidal pull.
My first Kessock Ferry Swim
It was 11.15am when the first swimmers entered the firth at South Kessock and set off at a fast pace. These participants had opted to be part of a timed swim, while others, like me, were happy simply to complete the distance.
We all wore tracker tags on our arms for safety and I set my GPS sports watch to record my approximate time.
I was one of the last to make it into the water but I was in no hurry. I acclimatised with a short spell of breast-stroke and then broke away from a clutch of other swimmers with speedier freestyle.
I was determined not to get caught up in a race and to keep to a steady pace. Having fractured my rib just a couple of weeks before, I knew I would not be able to push myself hard.
The water didn’t feel too cold at this stage but I think this was because I was wearing my full wetsuit, gloves and socks. Other swimmers looked to be even more insulated than me, with the addition of neoprene hoods, while I chose a latex swim hat. Other, hardier people, wore only their swimsuits. Swimmers who do this call it 'swimming skins'.
For the next five to 10 minutes I focused on trying to swim in a straight line towards two large orange buoys on the opposite shore.
Every so often, I lifted my head above the water’s surface and swapped to breast-stroke to check my direction. Above me to my right loomed the majestic arc of the Kessock Bridge. It shimmered against a bright blue sky in the full sunshine.
In the firth, in front of me, behind and to my right and left, more than 200 swimmers were spread out with numerous brightly coloured tow floats bobbing merrily on the water's surface. Some people had their heads down, swimming freestyle and seemingly in pursuit of speed, while others set a more leisurely pace whether freestyle, breast-stoke or even back-stroke.
The was a sense – at least from where I was swimming – that this was a relaxed and inclusive event. The faster participants were now well ahead, but there were still many swimmers around and behind me.
Many people were doing a mix of freestyle and breast-stroke and I heard friends chatting as they swam.
Swim to the first shore
I tried to swim a fairly consistent pace, mostly doing freestyle and then switching for shorter periods to breast-stroke so I could check if I was swimming in the right direction.
Every time I checked, the marker buoys still seemed so far away. But, instead of worrying, I slipped back into my own world of peaceful freestyle, trying to make sure my technique was as streamlined as possible and thinking of how fortunate I am to live so close to this fantastic outdoor setting.
Despite my reservations, the sea didn't feel scary and the swim was not as daunting as I imagined it would be.
As I finally closed in on North Kessock, I could hear spectators on the shore cheering us . It still seemed like I had a long way to go to swim around the first buoy, then east for a short while to the second buoy before starting the second half of the swim back across the Beauly Firth.
By this point I was feeing quite tired and I could feel the cold seeping into my hands. I suffer with Raynaud’s Syndrome and my hands are usually my weakest point. I heard later that the water was estimated to be between only 52°F / 11°C and 61°F / 16°C. Again, I was thankful I had chosen to wear full neoprene.
Return swim to South Kessock
Although the timing of the Kessock Ferry Swim is carefully chosen so that the tide is high and at its slackest (l with ess pull), there is still a natural movement of water and the longer swimmers took, the more the tidal force they faced.
I quickly realised that I was being pulled by a bit of a current and this meant I needed to pay more attention to my direction. It was a strange sensation because every time I thought I was back on track, I found myself drifting again.
A couple of times the safety kayakers indicated to me that I needed to swim further to my left. This part of the swim seemed to last a very long time and it took a lot more effort to maintain the right course.
It was great to finally hear the cheers of encouragement from spectators again, this time on the southern shore.
At last I could see the bottom of the firth below me, a mix of sand and stones, and I was able to stand up. I felt a little wobbly, although I know I would have been very dizzy if I had not been wearing my swimming ear-plugs.
It was wonderful to be greeted by two friends, Vicky and Thorfinn, who had finished their swim ahead of me. As I drifted off to find my shoes and specs, they waited for Thorfinn’s wife Susanna and several of her friends.
Once Susanna had come out of the water, the four of us returned to the registration area at the Sea Cadets base nearby. Retrieving our bags of dry clothes, stowed earlier in secure units, we quickly changed and then enjoyed a range of free food and drinks, including local Black Isle Brewery beers, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
We sat in the warm sunshine, chatting to friends and soaking up an up-beat community atmosphere.
Checking my sports watch later it turned out I had swum 1,750 yards / 1,600m, well over the given distance, presumably because of the tidal flow. My line on Strava showed where I had struggled to follow a direct line back to the shore at the end.
Now when I cross the bridge and look down at the sea strait, I feel a huge sense of pride rather than fear. I still wouldn't recommend that anyone swims the sea crossing without a lot of experience and safety measures. But I would recommend people sign up to next year's Kessock Ferry Swim event, although entries for next year aren't open yet, so you'll need to be patient...
