Tim triumphs in monster challenge on Loch Ness

A HIGHLAND man completed a monster challenge at the weekend by water ski-ing the length of Loch Ness non-stop.

A tired but happy Tim Davis arrived at Lochend, outside Inverness, at 2pm on Saturday to be greeted by friends and family.

Mr Davis, a 30-year-old father-of-four of Seaforth Road, Tain, set out to water-ski the 23-mile length of the famous waterway from Fort Augustus to Lochend to raise money for Sense Scotland.

Sense Scotland supports people with communication-support needs because of deafness, blindness, sensory impairment, learning and physical disabilities. Speaking after he stepped out of the water, Mr Davis, a senior graphic designer with the Press and Journal’s Inverness office, said his arms were a “bit tired”.

But he said he was delighted to have completed the challenge.

Mr Davis added: “I wanted to do it in one go but I thought I would have to take a break. I was just hanging on for dear life.” He was towed down the loch by a custom-built boat, designed and built by Islay-based Stormcats.

Mr Davis was inspired to attempt the crossing after seeing TV personality Christine Bleakley water-ski across the English Channel for charity earlier this year.

The challenge on Saturday was one of a series he plans to undertake during the year to reach a target of £7,000 for the charity via his fundraising web page, www.justgiving.com/25belowzero

Mr Davis is carrying out a year-long fundraising campaign, which will finish with a 150-mile husky sledge race in Norway and Sweden.