The Minch

The Little Minch Swim Team

The Minch (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuan Sgìth, Cuan na Hearadh, An Cuan Leòdhasach), also called North Minch, is a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as Skotlandsfjörð ("Scotland's fjord/firth") in Old Norse.

The Lower Minch

The Lower Minch (an Cuan Canach) is the Minch's southern extension, separating Skye from the lower Outer Hebrides: North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra etc. It opens into the Sea of the Hebrides. The Little Minch is the northern limit of the Sea of the Hebrides. The Minch and Lower Minch form part of the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland, as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization.

Size

The Minch ranges from 20 to 45 miles (32 to 72 km) wide and is approximately 70 miles (110 km) long.

Open Water Swimming

• In June 2010, Eilidh Macdonald became the first person to swim across the Minch in a wetsuit from Waternish Point on Skye to Rodel on Harris in a time of 9 hours 30 minutes.
• In April 2009, Stephen Brass from Uist attempted to swim 25 miles from Lochmaddy in North Uist to Milovaig on north-west Skye which separates the Western Isles from the Scottish mainland, but was forced out after 90 minutes.
• In summer 2011, the 30-mile Little Minch Swim was attempted by Saul Hindson, Chris Baker, Rodney Jamieson, Fraser Millar, Andrew Johnson, Tariq Hussain and Colin Macleod. They were supported by kayakers Pj Maclachlan and Mark stokes, along with Kenneth Macarthur (RIB) and Alastair Macinnes (support boat). The swim was never completed due to a Force 6 winds forecast.
• The Big Minch Swim was an 8-person wetsuit relay on 24-25 June 2012 in 34 hours that was supported by 3 kayakers and the crew of the Mv Cuma. It was a 48.9 nautical mile marathon swimming relay from Ullapool to Stornoway in aid of the R.N.L.I. to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Stornoway Lifeboat.
• On 8 July 2018, Colleen Blair became the first person to swim 24 nautical miles across the North Minch from Isle of Lewis to the Scottish mainland in 9-13.8°C water, a crossing governed by the British Long Distance Swimming Association.

The Big Minch Swim Videos

The Big Minch Swim was an 8-person relay performed on 24-25 June 2012 that was supported by 3 kayakers and the crew of the Mv Cuma. It was a 48.9 nautical mile marathon swimming relay from Ullapool to Stornoway in aid of the R.N.L.I. to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Stornoway Lifeboat.

The Minch

The Minch (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuan Sgitheanach, An Cuan Sgìth, Cuan na Hearadh, An Cuan Leòdhasach) is also called North Minch and is a strait in northwest Scotland, separating the northwest Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as Skotlandsfjörð ("Scotland's fjord/firth") in Old Norse. The Lower Minch (an Cuan Canach), also known as the Little Minch, is the Minch's southern extension, separating Skye from the lower Outer Hebrides: North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra etc. It opens into the Sea of the Hebrides. The Little Minch is the northern limit of the Sea of the Hebrides.

External links

• Colleen Blair, MBE To Be Inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
• Big Minch Swim Raises Over 23,000 For Stornoway
• The Big Minch Swim
• RNLI Swimmers Plan St. Kilda Challenge
• No Neoprene Across The Minch
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Pre Swim Press for Little Minch Swim
• Little Minch Training Swim Crossbost to Cromore
• Youtube Clip for Little Minch Swim
• After Swim Press for Little Minch Swim
• Swimmer completes Minch challenge
• Big Minch Swim Team raise over £23,000 for Stornoway RNLI
• Dooker Plans RNLI Swim
• Stephen Brass from Uist
• No Neoprene Across The Minch
• Colleen Blair Flying Solo Across North Minch
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Colleen Blair Honored With the MSF Yudovin Award