Day 2 update to follow

As we are all shattered due to paddling 30k instead of the planned 20k

Will update more in the morning
Nik

Sent from my iPhone

End of day 1

So today has been a long day... We didn't start paddling until gone 1pm due to some delays getting the canoes and transferred to the start point. But we got there in the end.

So off we set the 10 of us and just as we paddled away from the top of neptune's staircase the rain started coming down...

In the end we paddled around 8km and in that time had bright sunshine, big black clouds, heavy showers and hail... And all we the sight of Ben Nevis with snow on top.

Around 4pm we had our first portage where we have to take the canoes and all of the kit out and walk them around the locks.

An hour later we set off again after a hot drink and a snack and paddled for about 4km to find our camp for the night. Around 18:30 we found a narrow beach and set up camp, our hammocks and a small fire..

So now I lay in my hammock the sun not quite gone listening to the sounds of the outdoors, looking out across the water... It doesn't get better than this...!!!

Well they let us on the plane

Packed and ready to go....

So I am packed and so is Ed - Scotland here we come...!!!

Just to make it more interesting

It now appears that there maybe a monster on land as well as in the Loch

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3593069/Loch -Ness-mogster-on-the-loose.html

Add to that the rescue of 2 canoeists recently (at least they have tested the lifeboat recently) and the ash cloud that is threatening to force us to change our travel plans - This just gets better and better...!

Updates will follow

Dear all

That you for the donations so far - having had the site up for just a few hours we have already reached over 75% of our target - maybe I set it too low... But thank you all

You may see sone test messages here and on the other pages (nav bar to the right of this page) as I need to perfect the updates whilst away and with limited power available, poor coverage and only an iPhone to work with...

Wish us luck
Nik