Swim Forth

Adventures old and new – Gordon Watt

I’ve always been a keen open water swimmer. Living in Edinburgh, water is never far away, and I’ve had the joy (and sometimes the chill!) of crossing the Firth of Forth beneath the iconic rail bridge a couple of times. That swim about 2.2 km depending on the tides—had whetted my appetite for more. I needed a new challenge

A small, black seabird swimming in calm, light blue water.

Beautiful four arched red bridge crossing a river under a cloudy sky. Several boats in the water's edge. A walkway is also...

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Ned Barnie

Note to self – its dangerous to google local long swims

That’s when I stumbled across the story of Ned Barnie—a name more people should know. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Ned was the first Scotsman to swim the English Channel and, in 1950, became the oldest person to complete the crossing. That record stood for 28 years. But it was his 1955 swim from Granton to Burntisland, aged nearly 59, that really struck a chord. A straight-line distance of 9 km—but with tides, likely closer to 13–14 km. He did it in 4 hours and 20 minutes.
I thought, “Why not try doing my own Ned?”
So I decided to mark the year I turned 60 with a swim across the Forth in Ned’s footsteps.

The Training Begins

I enlisted the help of Tine Bankmann, an open water coach based at Edinburgh Wardie Bay, who had recently taken part in a Channel relay. She knew exactly what I was getting into—and how much work it would take.
January to March was all about the pool: ironing out technique, building endurance, and fixing long-standing flaws. My longest pool swim topped out at 5 km.
By spring, we were back in the open water. Reservoirs and the choppy waters off Wardie became home. We trained 2–3 times a week, building towards 9 km sea swims. The weather was often brutal—but Tine reminded me: this is what the Forth might throw at you. She rowed beside me in a small inflatable kayak, affectionately dubbed Green Gertie, somehow staying upright in conditions that had no right being swimmable.

Planning the Route

On June 1st, we met with Chris from the Marine Academy in South Queensferry. His team would be our safety crew. With cruise ships now often anchored off Leith, we had to be smart.

Chris suggested a crossing from Black Rock at Burntisland to Wardie Bay, skirting the shipping lane quickly and then using the slack tide to push up towards the bridges before aiming across to Granton. From there, we’d ride the outgoing tide in toward Wardie Bay.

It would be a kind of dogleg swim, timed by the tides. Authorities were notified. Paperwork filled in. Now, we just needed the weather gods to play ball.

planning done – forms in

Three people are in a rubber dingy at sea. They are all wearing winter clothes and sun glasses and smiling. They feature a...

The Swim Part

The Swim – June 19, 2025

Nine days before my 60th birthday, the day dawned… perfect. Clear skies, light winds. But I knew how quickly that could change.

Tine, our pilot Fergus, and I held a safety briefing before heading out to Black Rock. As the coastguard and Forth Port Authority confirmed the go-ahead, I swam to the start point, took a quick breath, and then—off I went.

To avoid getting pulled off course early, Fergus kept the boat pointing in the right direction. I simply followed his lead, stroke after stroke.

A few kilometres in, I was getting hungry. Glancing up, I saw Tine and Fergus glued to their screens. I half-wondered if they’d forgotten about me! The sea was alive—puffins, dolphins, thousands of jellyfish, and even a curious seal. Eventually, they tossed me a banana and a drink. Back to it.

Slack Water and Speed

I had expected slack water to be a gentle glide. Instead, I found a rhythm and flow that had me covering 2 km in just 30 minutes—some of my fastest swimming yet.

With about 2 km to go, Tine jumped in to join me—our agreed plan for the final stretch. It was oddly disorienting after hours swimming alone. But it felt right. We’d trained together for months, and now we’d finish it together.

As we approached Wardie Bay, a cheer broke out. Members of Tine’s Shiver Swim group, my wife Gillian, and our pal Wendy (who had sneakily skipped work) were all there to welcome us in.

The Finish Line

I checked my watch: 2 hours 59 minutes, 8.56 km in nearly a straight line. Fergus later said I was swimming well so he just kept the boat on course—minimal correction needed.

Through my Just Giving page more than £2,000 was raised for the Transplant patients trust charity swimming.

More than that, I hope it showed people that challenges don’t stop at 60, and that you can still discover new adventures, honour old legends, and inspire others to dip a toe—or a whole body—into something bigger than themselves.

Phew its a wrap!

I’ve Done my Ned In

Edinburgh Marine Academy

Tine Bankmann, The Shiver Group

It was a celebration of resilience, history, and what’s possible when you say, “Why not?”

If you fancy a crack at doing your own Ned the links for the people that make it happen are below