A man is preparing to travel the width of Scotland and back again in a bicycle canoe built by hand according to the time-honored British tradition of performing adventurous feats for charity.
The 36-year-old spent two months building his unique contraption, which has been dubbed Pedal Paddle, and will see him take on over 150 miles of land and sea.
Starting from Fort William, Ben Kilner will paddle to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal before turning around and cycling back on land along the Great Glen Way.
He aims to raise £2,500 for the charity A Leg To Stand On, which provides prosthetic limbs for children in developing countries across the world. He also hopes to inspire people to go outside and explore the world.
The idea was born after Kilner, who previously paddled down the River Thames in a hand-built canoe, was left unable to walk for several days after a camping trip.
“It was deeply upsetting and highlighted how much I rely on my mobility and how much we take it for granted,” said Kilner, from England’s East Sussex.
“The canoe is a skin-on-frame canoe made from Douglas fir and steam-bent green oak with a ballistic nylon skin stretched over it,” said Kilner in a TikTok video announcing his voyage by paddling the strange machine right into a lake. “The reason for going with that design was because it is super lightweight and also something I can build myself relatively easily.”
The challenge is expected to take around nine days, with Kilner spending his evenings and nights camping.
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“The biggest challenge will be the wind and stability. I’m sat quite high up along with the Pedal Paddle bike mechanism, so it’s pretty tippy. I think stability will be a challenge,” he added.
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“I’ll be doing daily updates on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as I’m going on the journey, and people can follow along. I’m excited to see the grand magnitude of Loch Ness and the Great Glen and to immerse myself in that.”
To find out more about the fundraiser or to donate, go to www.benkilner.com
WATCH The mad machine take to the water…
@ben_kilner Can’t wait to get going 😬🦆🚴♂️🛶🚀🚀🚀 Link to the donations page is in my bio or head to benkilner.com ❤️🙏 #seatoseaforcharity #benkilner #pedalpaddle #amphibious #bikeboat ♬ original sound - Ben Kilner
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