The Selkie Race
Selkies or "seal folk" are mythological creatures found in Scotland, capable of changing from seal to human form by shedding their skin.
In August 2021, James Armour, will attempt to be the first person in history to swim and run the entire length of the Outer Isles, from Barra Head Lighthouse to the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse! This phenomenal challenge, named ‘The Selkie Race’ will be a feat of human endurance, with stops made to only eat and drink! Here James shares his story…
During August 2021, I will be attempting to swim 20 miles and run 200 miles up the length of the islands on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve named the route the ‘Selkie’, after the mythological seal-folk that could shed their seal skin to come on to land in human form, much like what I'm planning.
In our waters we are blessed to have a number of native megafauna species including minke whales, basking sharks, killer whales, harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins and much more. Unfortunately, these animals are facing numerous human driven pressures globally but also locally from warming seas, plastic pollution and net entanglement.
I would therefore like for this race to be an opportunity to give back to the conservation of these amazing species and our oceans, which I would like to do through the locally based Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
The Scottish isles are a beautiful place. The nature, wildlife and scenery are what make them incredibly special, and I want this race to be an opportunity to share the beauty of these islands and encourage all of us to connect with nature once again.
Anything you can support with will be enormously appreciated, and is going to be what drives me along not only during the race but also the suffer fest of training that I am anticipating over the next 12 months, in icy cold water and early morning starts.
So a massive thank you to anyone who is able to support in any way, and I hope you enjoy the journey I will be sharing on social media!