Atlantic-conquering brothers take to The Minch ahead of Pacific row

But first they have to prepare, and the trio have based themselves in a ramshackle abandoned croft in the north of Scotland to use The Minch as their training base ahead of the Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row, from Lima in Peru to Sydney, Australia. 

The Edinburgh brothers have settled in the tiny hamlet of Nedd, just off the North Coast 500,where they spent childhood summers with their dad, Charles Maclean MBE — the world’s leading whisky writer — and mum, Sheila, an artist. 

Middle brother Jamie, who builds saunas for a living, said: “Nedd is a special place to us. We’ve been coming here since we were born. It feels like our spiritual home.  

“It was always a place to escape and disconnect from life back in Edinburgh and completely throw yourself into the outdoors.  

“There was no phone reception or access to any technology, which allowed us to give in to the adventurous nature of life. It gave us, from a very young age, an independence in nature. If it wasn’t for our love for the water developed by kayaking and dinghy sailing during family holidays here, we wouldn’t have taken up rowing. 

“We had a bashed-up fishing boat which we used to take into the bay. We would look across the Minch and dream about hitting Canada. There was a sense of awe and attraction to head off out into the blue. That was before any of us knew you could row across the Atlantic, but it planted a seed.”  

He added: “We knew one day we’d like to move to Nedd, but thought that would be in the distant future. However, last year, an abandoned croft came up for sale, and it was perfect. So we bit the bullet; it was too good an opportunity to miss. We put together all our savings and bought a bit of land. And we’re so glad we did. There’s nowhere better to prepare for the Pacific row.” 

The Maclean brothers with their boat in which they will row across the Pacific ocean. (Image: Colin Mearns)

The purpose of the World Record attempt is to raise more than £1M for clean water projects in developing countries like Madagascar through their charity, The Maclean Foundation. 

The trio hope to break the record for the fastest human-powered crossing of the full Pacific Ocean, and will begin the 14,000km journey in April next year. The voyage is expected to take around four months. 

To prepare, the brothers are out on the boat as much as possible, including multi-day trips to Handa Island, Stornoway, and the sea lochs towards Kylesku. But it’s the Minch — a strait in north-west Scotland that separates the mainland from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides — that will best prepare the brothers for the challenges of the Pacific Ocean. 

Myths say the Minch is home to a clan of  otherworldly creatures: the blue men of the Minch, also known as the storm kelpies.  

Legend has it, when the blue men sleep, the weather could be fine and the seas calm. However, when awake they look for sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink,  conjuring up storms whenever they want. 

Ewan,  a 33-year-old product design engineer who works for Dyson, commented: “While unlike my brothers I can’t be there full time, I’m there every chance I get. And when I get there, we always make sure to do an intense row.  

“The Minch is the closest replica in Scotland to what we’ll experience on the Pacific. It might even be tougher – we won’t have to overcome the blue men of the Minch on the Pacific!  

“There’s an unpredictable swell, you’re much more exposed so it’s the best training, the boat actually gets tested. You’re surfing waves and unlike on the coast, if something goes wrong, it goes really wrong. You can’t swim to shore. We are trying to maximise our time on the oars and get the body used to bigger shifts.” 

READ MORE: Edinburgh brothers look to make history with record-breaking Pacific row

READ MORE: Scots couple to circumnavigate Britain in rowing boat

The trio are now looking for sponsors to support the Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row.  Click Here To find out more about the incredible charitable effort.

As well as extensive time on the oars and at sea, the brothers are training every single day — undergoing strength and mobility training and using an erg and watt bike they’ve brought with them to boost their cardiovascular fitness. They finish each session with a trip to the sauna they built themselves.  

Day-to-day life is also helping the brothers acclimatise ahead of the biggest challenge of their lives.  

The Maclean brothers as they completed the Atlantic voyage (Image: PA)

Youngest brother Lachlan, 26, added: “The croft had been derelict for five years, so there’s a lot to be done. It means we’re working non-stop, just as we’ll be on the boat. Our days are spent repairing fences, removing bracken, digging new vegetable patches and building paths.  

“There are loads of beautiful mountains nearby so on top of our structured programme, we’re always cycling, running, and hiking. When we’re not training, we try to live off the land as much as possible; mackerel fishing, collecting mussels and foraging for chanterelle mushrooms.  

“After finding and cooking our dinner, and after a hard day training, we focus on the campaign itself. Trying to raise £1m for clean water projects and securing sponsorship is as big a challenge — if not bigger — than the row itself. 

“We’re also strategising ahead of the row, looking at tactics in terms of pacing and boat load, and mentally preparing too. This will be like nothing we’ve ever done before.”