A man is travelling the width of Scotland and back in a hand-built “bicycle canoe”.
Ben Kilner, 36, spent two months making the unique contraption to take on more than 150 miles of land and sea. Starting from Fort William, Ben will paddle to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal before turning around and cycling back on land along the Great Glen Way.
He aims to raise £2500 for charity A Leg To Stand On, which provides prosthetic limbs for children in developing countries across the world. The idea was born after Ben, who previously paddled down the River Thames in a hand-built canoe, was unable to walk for several days after a camping trip.
“It was deeply upsetting and highlighted how much I rely on my mobility and how much we take it for granted,” said Ben, from Forest Row, Sussex.
Ben, who has been sharing his progress on social media with his 700,000 followers, integrated three bikes into his design.
He said: “The canoe is a skin-on frame canoe made from Douglas fir and steam-bent green oak with a ballistic nylon skin stretched over it. The reason for going with that design was because it is super lightweight – and also something I can build myself relatively easily.
“It seems to work well and it should hopefully carry me across the width of Scotland and back in one piece.”
The challenge is expected to take around nine days.
Ben added: “I think it will probably take about five days in water mode to get across the width of Scotland and about four days back across. In total, I think it will be about a 150-mile round trip.
“One of the great things about Scotland is that you’re allowed to wild camp, whereas in the rest of the UK, you’re not, so I’ll be wild camping the whole way. The biggest challenge will be the wind and stability. The canoe has a single hull and would ideally have a low centre of gravity.
“I’m sat quite high up along with the pedal paddle bike mechanism, so it’s pretty tippy. I think stability will be a challenge. Also, because canoes have quite high sides, the wind can catch the sides and knock you off course.”
Ben began his journey on Saturday and plans to share his travels with his followers across social media.
He said: “I have a combined following of over 700,000 people across my various accounts, and the build process, which is ongoing, has about 50million views so far. The fundraising response has been quite good. I’ve raised around 70 per cent of my target so far, which is £2500.
“I’ll be doing daily updates on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as I’m going on the journey, and people can follow along. I’m excited to see the grand magnitude of Loch Ness and the Great Glen and to immerse myself in that.”
● To find out more about the fundraiser or to donate, go to www.benkilner.com