Winter Kayaking and camping on the Summer Isles

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Priest island is the most remote and isolated of the larger islands in the Summer Isles archipelago, west of Ullapool in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. In this video I spend a couple of days on the island in the middle of winter, including camping on the island during a cold and long midwinter night. I also explore the island on foot a little, before having to get back to the mainland before night returns!
If you watch my videos regularly please consider making a contribution: buymeacoffee.com/middleofnowhere
Music tracks featured in this video are:
- ‘Rip-Curl’, by Tubebackr
- ‘Cut me Free’ by Tubebackr
- ‘A kind of Hope’ by Scott Buckley
- ‘Journeys End’ by Purple Cat
CAMERA EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS VIDEO:
GoPro Hero 8 black: expertphotography.com/gopro-h...
Iphone 13 pro: www.apple.com/by/iphone-13-pro/
DJI Mavic Pro: www.dji.com/uk/support/produc...
Boya BY-V20 Wireless Microphone: www.boya-mic.com/product/by-v20
Canon Eos 5D Mk III with 24-105mm lens: www.canon.co.uk/for_home/prod...
Slik Sprint pro tripod (2015 version): slik.com/products/sprint-pro-i...
SOME CAMPING/OUTDOOR KIT USED:
Terra Nova Quasar tent: www.terra-nova.co.uk/products...
Therm-a-rest neo-air x-lite: www.thermarest.com/ie/sleepin...
Mountain Equipment Glacier 700 four season sleeping bag
Advanced Elements Expedition Elite kayak with AE touring spray skirt and rudder kit: www.advancedelements.com/shop...
Rab Neutrino winter down jacket (2008)
Typhoon PS220 Extreme Dry Suit
Aqua Bound Manta Ray 4-piece paddle: aquabound.com/collections/man...
Delorme (now owned by Garmin) Inreach Satellite text message handset: discover.garmin.com/en-GB/inr...
Jetboil Zip stove: www.jetboil.co.uk/products/zi...
OTHER PLACES TO SEE MY PHOTOGRAPHY/ADVENTURES:
Website: www.middleofnowherephotos.com
Instagram: / fearguscooney
Facebook: / feargusc
About Me:
Hi and thanks for checking out my videos! I’m Feargus Cooney, a photographer and amateur explorer who has been disappearing into the wilderness for most of my life. It’s my passion and my salvation from the stresses of everyday life.
The main aim of my excursions/expeditions is to explore the relatively (and occasionally completely) unknown if I can - to get off the beaten path in some way and bring back photography of nature and wilderness.
I’ve been filming my adventures since 1999, though am only a recent addition to using RU-vid as a way of getting the experiences out there. During the COVID-19 pandemic my wife and I made the decision it was time to escape the stress of living far from any real wilderness and moved to northern Scotland, and that’s where most of these videos take place. It’s not as pure and unspoilt as some wilderness areas around the world but it can certainly be remote and wild. I also head off into more ‘pure’ wilderness around the world once or twice a year, and will occasionally add videos from my archive of trips I did in the past where the quality is high enough.
Scotland has made a world of difference to my mental health. The space - and right - to roam here, along with a healthier attitude to freedom of access to nature than I’ve come across in most places I’ve lived has made entering this phase of my life a truly transformative one, raising me out of persistent cycles of depression and stress that have plagued most of my adult life.
I’m passionate about nature and the wilderness and always have been, and I hope to share some of that passion with you.
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS!
A WORD OF CAUTION: My videos cover experiences I have had and are not to be taken as guides or recommendations without proper training and experience. I’ve been spending time in the wilderness camping wild and doing the various activities I show since I was a child, and have made plenty of mistakes while refining my experience and wisdom, some of which could have been very serious. Please seek appropriate training or go with someone more experienced than you before trying risky activities.
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Paddling out to the island
03:09 Arrival on the Island
05:17 Night on the island
08:39 Exploring the Island
14:44 Exploring the coast and paddling back
18:44 Return to the mainland and closing comments
19:46 Closing comments & credits

Опубликовано:

22 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 39

@pikemaster1972 4 месяца назад

Get a fibreglass boat…. Great video and couldn’t agree more . Respect from Derry

@feargusc 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the comment. I'll certainly get a hard shell one day. For now I wanted something I can take on a plane :)

@grzegorzp2307 6 месяцев назад

Big appreciation for your confession. Such problems are today much more common in society than one could think. I am struggling with these as well and 100% agree with you - outdoor activities like these, when you can feel this intimate connection with the nature, all by yourself - is very curative. In my case, regular sport also helps a lot. Wish you all the best, you are making great content with exactly my favourite type of travelling - looking forward to next videos and inspirations. I have the same exact kayak and now I really want to try it out in Scottish highlands :)

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for the comment. After years of keeping fairly quiet about my mental health I figured it’s really important to be honest about it, as the more people are open the less it gets stigmatised. I’m pleased you have that therapeutic outlet (excercise etc) as well as it’s so important to have these mechanisms.

@TheSoloSummiteer 6 месяцев назад

Lovely video Fergus. Really enjoyed that, you certainly have some skills. Respect to you for being so honest and genuine, too. HNY and ATB - Dave

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Many thanks Dave. I think honesty is important with this stuff - helps break the stigma.

@user-cc3tu1tj6d 5 месяцев назад

Congratulations for the beautiful footage and insights!

@feargusc 5 месяцев назад

Many thanks!

@jobaerhossain183 6 месяцев назад

👋👋I watched your RU-vid channel and your content is very good💥💥I love this video of yours so much that I am sharing it with 5 of my friends🥰🥰I hope you grow up. Take endless love💗💗 ❤your fan❤ 💗Jobayer💖

@TomKledecki 3 месяца назад

Hi Feargus, A wonderful tiny adventure. Thank you for sharing. I hear and feel you when you talk about struggles. I unfortunately still live in SE England and have a rather demanding job. But I also found my little niche. That is kayaking. It was a perfect escape from the rat race and daily upsets associated with it. Problem is that I also decided to run my own channel. At first it was great but I missed the moment where that very same rat race crept into my hobby, killing my inspiration and motivation. Realizing that, I decided to ditch it and I stopped any and all editing. I will be paddling just for myself. I feel that little bit of relief again (still a bit sad about what happened). There has to be balance somewhere. 😉 Please, be aware of it and don't let the rat race get into your channel through the back door because your content is too good to suffer. 👍 Best wishes from Crawley, Tom

@feargusc 3 месяца назад

Thanks for the advice Tom. Yes I’ve noticed a few channels where people have done it for a bit and then ditched it for similar reasons to yourself… and it’s very much in the back of my mind. It’s not too hard to balance at the moment because I’m not doing much other work, having finished a job a couple of months ago. I’ve made videos of my adventures for 25-years and am, for now, delighted to do them regularly. The one thing that I’m being very wary of is the more typical social media aspect of it in terms of constantly monitoring engagement. So I only check every couple of days typically. Thanks again 🙂

@6yjjk 6 месяцев назад

What a beautiful place. I hear you about the depression. There are days when I can barely push myself out the door even to go kayaking, and even as I'm putting the boat into the water I wonder why I'm bothering, yet that first paddle stroke always gives me my answer. Unfortunately I live even further north than you do (65N) and even the sea's frozen, so no kayaking for a while! Also the darkness, although I handle the depths of winter and our 4-hour days far better than I handle the grot of Finnish November. I've been known to book a flight down to Helsinki and back just to get above it all and feel the sun on my face!

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

I'm so sorry to hear about your depression struggles, but of course I understand. With me it helps just to be alone in nature to recharge for a night, though I often don't realise how much it helped until afterwards and have to force myself to get on with it. I have friends in Finland - though they're in relatively sunny Helsinki - who also struggle with the darkness and cold. At least you get the wonderful long nights in summer though. I love that here in Scotland... apart from the bloodsucking midges!

@6yjjk 6 месяцев назад

@@feargusc Getting out into nature is key, but I agree, sometimes it takes real effort. Helsinki always seems to get the worst of the winters, plenty of times I've left my nice crisp -20 and lovely snow to go down there and find it ankle-deep in slush. As for the summers, yep, they're something else. Can't beat standing on an island in Lake Inari at 2am and watching the sun just roll along the horizon before starting to go back up again. But the mosquitoes are something else!

@hollandtruong6483 6 месяцев назад

Awesome video & beautiful nature❤️!!! Subscribed👍.

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks!

@janesayliss5938 6 месяцев назад

Really enjoyed your video, we have been looking forward to you posting it since we saw you off from Mellon Udrigle beach. We were keeping our eye on the weather, hoping the rain would miss you. This is a trip which we will do at some stage, you have given us the impetus to give it a go, hopefully later this year. We loved your presentation, it is beautifully filmed, especially with the drone and a very personal account of your visit. Thank you and Happy New Year. Keith and Jane

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Many thanks Kieth and Jane for your encouraging comment. It was lovely chatting to you before I set out. Camping on the islands should be fine if you have a suitable boat - which it sounded like you have when we chatted. You just need a reliable forecast for at least two days. Phone signal is good on Priest Island for reassurance in case things go pear-shaped 🙂

@mikemcnulty6029 6 месяцев назад

Happy New Year Feargus...your films are both stunning and honest in terms of how you are coping with depression etc...sometimes I do the same ...just head off into the wilds of Scotland to be alone...we are so lucky up here for sure!

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks Mike. Yes it makes a big difference having these places to go to 🙂

@RebelRDX 6 месяцев назад

Beautiful video, in every sense

@silentrabbit247 6 месяцев назад

Well done Feargus nice trip. Really enjoyed that, i've been using a folding sea kayak to get out and camp in amazing places here in Scotland. Think you would find Nick Ray's YT Channel of interest, like you he's pretty adventurous and also suffers with depression, finding that kayaking helps. ( Nick Ray LifeAFloat ) All very best and thanks.

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks. I’ll check Nick Ray out :)

@jamesoutandaboutn.i227 6 месяцев назад

Brilliant video matey. Thanks for sharing

@brendan190770 6 месяцев назад

Great honest content, all the best Fergus!!

@timothyschofield5771 6 месяцев назад

Well done! keep going! 🫡

@GoSummitSolo 6 месяцев назад

That brilliant that you are in an area where you can just be free. Sorry to hear that you cope with that, it's good that you are finding ways to cope though 🙏. This is a very well. Put together video and very creative with the kayak. Different! Really enjoyed watching 🙌🙌🙌 looked like a nice long paddle. Lots of upper body exercise 💯💯 keep them coming, enjoy watching.

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@andypotts8062 6 месяцев назад

Brilliant video for the New Year. Very enjoyable, great location and very well filmed.thank you for talking about depression..I often take my camera for a drive or a walk to put me back in a good place. Many thanks and best wishes

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks Andy 🙂

@grzegorzp2307 6 месяцев назад

Quick question regarding kayak, because I see u are using it in conjunction with AdvancedTrak rudder. How much trouble does it take each time to install pedals and rudder after unpacking folded kayak ? (Assuming it was already installed before). Is it possible to just remove pedals before folding, with rudder cables staying in kayak when folded ?

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Hiya! Yes you can fold the kayak with the cables still inside, though I'm a bit uneasy about doing it properly to go into it's bag in case they get kinked. When the rudder is installed I just give it a basic fold to make it small enough to fit in the car! I'm not too impressed with the rudder tbh, though I knew it had iffy reviews before I bought it. In fact it got stuck on this trip when the cable slipped out of the pedal binding point through a gap it clearly shouldn't have, so I had to stow it for much of the paddle out to the island as I had no way to get it back in while on the open water. Still haven't worked out a proper solution to ensure it doesn't happen again, but it will probably involve doing some DIY modifications.

@grzegorzp2307 6 месяцев назад

This is what I was worried as well - does it happen often? I've chosen this kayak partly due to possibility to install rudder - i dont know any other inflatable model with such option and I think it is neccessary in open water conditions.. Not good news if it has significant design flaws, especially considering quite high price for this rudder kit..

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

... Yes it is quite expensive for what you get, and I bought the kayak for the same reason. It's really handy when paddling in windy conditions for staying on course, but if I can't get it to behave over the coming months I'll do some other mods to keep it straight and use it as a keg instead. Just keeping the rudder straight helps a lot in the wind as well, and I see advanced elements do a keg which might be a better buy?

@grzegorzp2307 5 месяцев назад

@@feargusc Great idea ! I bet you mean Airfusion Skeg which is also compatible with expedition elite as i'm reading in reviews. It's much cheaper and should be also much more reliable as there is nothing to break here.. I am almost convinced that ability to rotate it is not worth additional cost and risk of potential malfunction when in open water. Thanks for the advice.

@grzegorzp2307 6 месяцев назад

I wonder how do you get drone shots of you kayaking? Are you just starting directly from the vessel? I've always been afraid of that, worrying the risk of losing the drone - maybe you have some special tips?

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Hiya. Yes I launch it from my hand on the boat, and then catch it again when I'm done. It's a bit nerve wracking because if there's any wind or currents then you're drifting under the drone and can sometimes miss and have to move the drone downwind and line up to grab it when you drift under it again!

@lifesahobby 6 месяцев назад

It looks nice and cold .. When I watch you paddling it's a bit unnerving to watch you without a paddle leash.. I have a kayak here that would fit you perfect . A picture of it is on my home screen .

@feargusc 6 месяцев назад

Yea I should use the leash more often. I used to packraft rivers a lot and so got so used to never using one but it is in the cupboard! Is that a trak kayak in your picture? If so I used to have one but didn't like the way it handled in the wind. I want the portability of a folding kayak that I can take on a plane with the ability to fit a proper skeg or rudder.