The Expedition to North West Norway was the result of two years of planning and fundraising after Jim Breen, Angus Mathieson, Bill Turnbull and Peter Wilson found themselves storm-bound on an island off the West coast of Scotland in 1978 and made a pact to embark on Scotland’s first major sea kayaking expedition together.
Setting off from Harstad in North West Norway at 8.30am on Tuesday 1 July 1980, the four friends paddled 394 miles (634 kilometres) as they circumnavigated the two island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen in North West Norway, 200 miles within the Arctic Circle.
Here, between Lofoten Point and the island of Mosken, where the tidal currents are forced through the shallows creating a fast series of eddies and whirlpools, they made the first ever crossing of one of the world’s largest whirlpools, the ‘Maelstrom’ or, as it is sometimes known, the ‘Moskenstraumen’.
Discover the full story including how the team faced not only the challenges of the Maelstrom, but also very severe magnetic anomalies, bland, repetitive meals, only alleviated by occasional treats of Angel Delight and Cabana chocolate, food poisoning and an unexpected heatwave!
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Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Glasgow? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Glasgow Close Knit brings together hundreds of knitted and crocheted blankets, carefully crafted by churches, community groups and individuals, for an exhibition at Kelvin West Parish Church.
READ MOREGlasgow Freshers Festival returns to Platform on Tuesday 16th September, expect free food and drinks, awesome giveaways, unbeatable deals and much more!
READ MOREAs part of Take Me Somewhere 2025, Public Trust is a public interactive installation, asking participants to examine the value of their word.
READ MOREJoin GoMA on Saturday 20th September for an artist talk with Hock-Aun Teh, whose work 'Fitness is energy' is currently on show in their Gallery 2 exhibition 'Through line'.
READ MOREThe Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow will be opening their doors to visitors to explore their beautiful rooms and learn about the history of medicine and surgery in Glasgow.
READ MOREDaytripping at Platform is a collection of evocative photographs documenting the joy of day trips, celebrating people and place, taken by photographer Alan Dimmick.
READ MOREAC Collective presents The Makar's Mark featuring a selection of artworks inspired by the work of the poet Liz Lochhead.
READ MORECanadian/Irish artist Ciara Phillips will be giving two short tours of her exhibition Undoing it at the Gallery of Modern Art on Saturday 27th September!
READ MOREPlay Interact Explore is an exhibition of interactive artworks and resources created by Leap Then Look, which is artists Lucy Cran and Bill Leslie.
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