Intrepid coastal rowers from Musselburgh braved thick fog, large waves and swirling seas to row all the way from the Forth Bridges to Dunbar as part of an epic round-Scotland challenge.

Different crews from the Eskmuthe Rowing Club covered nearly 50 miles as part of the RowAround Scotland celebrations – and are ready to rack up more miles as they head down the coast towards the Border at Tweedmouth.

Gaynor Allen, chairperson of the club, based at Fisherrow Harbour, said: “The expeditions are all part of the RowAround Scotland celebrations to mark 10 years of coastal rowing.

“The 10th anniversary was in 2020 so we had to do the event virtually, socially distanced on rowing machines because of the pandemic.

“But a year on we have done the real thing and it has been amazing.”

The RowAround has seen clubs pass on a baton around the coast of Scotland and also hand over scientific equipment to carry out a micro-plastics trawl of waters all around the coastline.

Eskmuthe rowed both its boats – Steedie Falconer and Honesty – to Portobello and then accompanied the Row Porty club back to receive the baton just outside Fisherrow Harbour.

Eoin McDunphy, one of Eskmuthe’s coxes, lifted the baton high in the air to celebrate its arrival, to cheers from a busy beach and harbour.

The following night, a crew carried out the microplastics trawl and then both boats braved choppy seas and unfavourable winds to row just over five miles to hand the baton over to the Boatie Blest club at Port Seton Harbour.

The club was also keen to join in as many other of the RowAround legs as possible, rowing in company with other clubs to explore new places.

So, after passing the baton to Boatie Blest, Honesty left Port Seton Harbour with the local club – this time in beautiful rowing conditions – to row more than 14 miles to North Berwick for the next baton handover.

Eskmuthe then took part in the North Berwick regatta, before both boats rowed down to Dunbar on the Sunday, where North Berwick handed the baton over to Dunbar.

The 10-mile trip took the boats between Bass Rock and Tantallon Castle, past Tyninghame and Belhaven Bay, to arrive in Dunbar’s historic harbour after navigating some choppy and swirling seas.

Committee member and cox Georgina Brown described the last section as “a bit like rowing in a washing machine.”

Eskmuthe also accompanied the baton on its earlier legs from South Queensferry to Granton Harbour, where Newhaven Rowing Club is based, then from Granton to Portobello on a row which took place in thick coastal haar.

These two rows were more than 14.5 miles in total.

Club membership secretary David Lee, one of the main organisers, said: “We are so proud of all the club members who took part in this epic Eskmuthe escapade. We had lots of different weather conditions but the rowers and coxes coped brilliantly with whatever was thrown at them.

“On the way we’ve seen some of the Forth’s fantastic landmarks, from the Forth Bridges and Cramond Island to the Bass Rock, Tantallon Castle and the historic harbours

“We have had a lot of newer rowers joining the club recently and several were able to take part in the Row-Around, which was great to see.

“In total, more than 30 rowers have taken part.”

The club joined Dunbar to head further down the coast to St Abbs, via Cove, and will make it all the way to Tweedmouth. On September 19, the Musselburgh rowers will take part in the annual Tweed row, up the river to Paxton House, for a picnic.

The club, founded in 2013, currently has a long waiting list due to an increasing interest in the sport and the inability to take on new members during the Covid-19 pandemic. To join the waiting list, email Eskmuthe@gmail.com