A teenager who kayaked nearly 1,000 miles solo to raise funds for the RNLI ended up witnessing a rescue close up as he headed for the finishing line.
Angus Leigh, 19, was heading for his finish line in Inverness when he became involved in call-out for the Loch Ness lifeboat crew.
The lifeboat was called to retrieve an upturned dinghy near Dochgarroch – just as Mr Leigh was being photographed with the crew onshore.
It was close to the end of a solo kayak trip from Penarth near Cardiff to the marina in Inverness, which has taken the gap year student nearly seven weeks.
The Northamptonshire teen set himself the challenge before enrolling to study oceanography at university.
And he now has remarkable first hand experience of the sea having navigated his way through the Menai Straits before paddling along the coast before turning off into the Caledonian Canal and the Great Glen.
Mr Leigh said: “I have never been happier than when I am on a boat on the sea, and I feel that the best vessel to do a solo trip in is a kayak.
“Cardiff to Inverness felt like a reasonable distance, and is a trip that most people are able to picture in their mind quite easily.
“I also fancied doing something a bit different with my gap year.”
His fundraising target of £1,000 has already been surpassed and the total is currently standing at just over £3,000.
He was met at the end of his journey by crew from RNLI Loch Ness who praised the teen for his preparation.
Volunteer Neil Stebbings said: “It is very clear that Angus has taken this challenge seriously.
“He has planned well, has excellent personal safety equipment, made regular contact with the coastguard and has taken local advice as he travels.”
“The experience he will have from this will be wonderful but Angus sees a bigger picture than the personal gain. He is aware that his adventure highlights the huge benefits of a healthy outdoor lifestyle and that proper planning and preparation means that should something go wrong, he is very well placed to have a safe outcome.”
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/angus-leigh.