Every Easter and every summer the young Maclean brothers would burn off energy in the remote Wester Ross hamlet of Nedd, leaping into the chilly water of the loch, disappearing on wild adventures and looking for ways to scare their parents.

However, that youthful exuberance pales somewhat when compared to what the three Edinburgh brothers are about to inflict on their apparently longsuffering parents.

In a remarkable show of sibling strength and courage, the trio is preparing to take on one of the world’s toughest ocean challenges, a 3,000-mile endurance test that will see them across the Atlantic battling 40ft waves, blisters, chaffing and sleep deprivation in a tiny rowing boat.

Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean’s Team Broar – a combination of “bro” and “oar” – will take on 35 other teams and solo rowers who are bidding to conquer the gruelling Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge between San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary Islands and the West Indies.

On the way, the trio fully expects their 28ft rowing boat to capsize several times, encounter stormy seas as well as beautifully clear starlit nights, be visited by pods of whales and endure at least a few sibling disputes before finally reaching Nelson’s Harbour in Antigua.

To celebrate their arrival – which would see them crowned as the first three brothers to row across the Atlantic – Lachlan plans to somehow cram his bagpipes into one of the boat’s two tiny 6ft long by 4.5ft wide cabins and blast a tune as his shattered brothers make the final push for the finish.

The challenge gets underway from December 12 and is likely to last around 40 days. Assuming all goes well, the Maclean brothers could also break records as the youngest and the fastest team of brothers to conquer the Atlantic in a rowing boat.

However, previous Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenges have seen teams encounter a range of difficulties, from mechanical problems to inquisitive whales which caused one team to capsize five times in a single day.

Heavy seas in 2017 saw four teams rescued in the first week, while unexpectedly calm waters last year left crews with little help from the ocean to spur them on their way.

The result was exhausted and frustrated rowers who were already dealing with chaffing, sore bottoms from hours of sitting and with some having had so little time on their feet that they had to be carried off their boats, unable to walk.

Not surprisingly, the prospect is said to have left dad Charlie, a well-known whisky writer, and mum Sheila torn between soaring pride and utter panic.

“They are obviously nervous but at the same time they are quite proud,” says Ewan, who at 27 is the eldest of the trio.

A design engineer for Dyson based in Bristol, he is the only brother juggling intense daily training sessions with a full-time job.

To help ease the stress levels, the brothers have made mum Sheila their team captain.

A talented artist originally from Wester Ross, she is selling prints of her work to help their sponsorship effort.

“Having three sons with such a spirit of adventure could only make any mother proud, but it is daunting to think of them together in the middle of the ocean,” she says.

Ewan, Jamie, 25, a trainee architect at Glasgow School of Art and youngest brother Lachlan, 21, a philosophy student at University of Glasgow, will take a step closer to the challenge this weekend when thanks to sponsorship from, among others, Nairn’s oatcakes, Glasgow University and the James Dyson Foundation, they take delivery of their £50,000 lightweight R45 Rannoch rowing boat.

With just two tiny cabins, she will put her through her paces with a 200-mile sail ‘island hop’ from Arran to Islay in August. But while they may be able to train physically, the brothers agree there is little preparation to help them cope with lack of sleep.

“Sleep deprivation is something we can’t prepare for and will be among the biggest challenges,” agrees Jamie.

To help lighten the mood and ease the inevitable boredom of weeks at sea, each plan to take a musical instrument on board.

All talented musicians, Jamie’s bagpipes and a penny whistle will be accompanied by Lachlan’s harmonica, while Ewan is a talented singer-songwriter.

Team Broar could encounter fierce waves and storm-force gales while having to dodge their way through shipping lanes.

The brothers also say they are looking forward to seeing nature at her immense and beautiful best.

“We’ve been told that the first week is very draining and overwhelming. But we’ve been told that it settles and by halfway there’s a routine – that’s what I’m looking forward to,” says Lachlan.

“At times the sky is clear at night and it will be just us under the stars.”