Limekilns: Sailor, 82, raises £9,000 for mental health charity

Murdoch McGregor, on board his 23-foot yacht Artemis, was piped into the harbour and met by friends and family after embarking on an epic 1,900-mile adventure on June 5.

The grandfather only took up sailing in 2011 and his 'Circle of Life' around the UK took 80 days.

Murdoch said: "Circumnavigation is one of the landmark sails in UK sailing, it's on everyone's bucket list, so, after a trip to Norway was postponed, I hastily put it together and away I went.

"As they say, age is just a number but I am lucky I've got my health.

"I'm the biggest romantic in the world, especially when it comes to sailing, so live your dreams. I'm still living mine."

Murdoch took on the challenge in aid of Mental Health UK and his fundraising page has more than £8,000, with Alloa Round Table adding to the total with a £1,000 cheque.

His brother, Jim, died two years ago at the age of 75 having suffered from mental health problems for most of his adult life.

He said: "Things are so much better now but back in the 1960s, if you admitted you were struggling, the stock answer was, 'You just need to get a grip and get on with it'.

"Sadly, that answer is still given today as there's a lack of understanding about mental health issues."

The former soldier and miner started and finished his journey in Alloa, where he's from, and is a member of the Forth Cruising Club in Limekilns.

He explained: "My home port is Alloa but both going and coming back I had to stop at Limekilns as I have so many friends and supporters there.

"It really is the best little boat club in the world."

Murdoch got into his first sail boat at the age of 72 but within a year had journeyed around Scotland, before tackling a longer trip across the North Sea, through the Kiel Canal and as far east as Poland.

He's the first member of the club, in its 100-year history, to sail around the whole of the UK and said: "This voyage has totally rewarded me, almost spiritually, and given me satisfaction beyond what I ever imagined.

"I was in a harbourmaster's office before I set out and saw a big map of the British Isles. When I saw the scale, it hit me hard and I thought, 'Am I really going to finish this?'

"So it was a big achievement and the fact I did it fairly well, I'm overwhelmed."

It wasn't all plain sailing as he faced strong currents and huge waves, gale-force winds, engine problems and storms that forced him to seek shelter, as well as tricky passages such as Lizard Point, Land's End, Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firth.

A back strain forced him to miss out Orkney and Shetland but a chance encounter with a physio helped turn the tide so he could complete the journey.

He said: "One of the highlights of any trip is turning Land's End. That can be a challenge. It's when you turn north and it's 600 miles to Cape Wrath."

Murdoch also enjoyed the sights at Lindisfarne and Weymouth, the splendour of Devon and Cornwall, Aberystwyth in Wales, a jaunt to Northern Ireland and sailing up the west coast of Scotland and through the islands.

He said: "I enjoy the solitude, especially in beautiful surroundings, and I do a lot of thinking. I really love the quietness.

"On days of sheer beauty when it's really calm, I'll switch everything off, make myself a cup of tea and bask in the silence and beauty of it all.

"That's therapy in itself."

Murdoch kept his followers updated with regular Facebook posts and was in contact with his wife, Janice, through Facetime.

He also has three daughters and six grandchildren and his family were on hand to welcome him back to Scotland.

Murdoch concluded: "Anyone can take up sailing.

"My first boat that took me round Cape Wrath cost £2,000 and you can buy a boat similar to Artemis for £6,000 – you can hardly get a good runaround car for that – so it's not as expensive as people think, especially when you've got a great club like Limekilns where everyone chips in and helps out."

You can donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/murdoch-mcgregor1.