PADDLER 54
SCOTLAND OCEAN
Ten things I learnt stand up
paddleboarding around Scotland
In 2021 , I set out to stand up paddleboard around my favourite country in the world – Scotland . My partner , James , and I are film makers , and we wanted to bring the wonder of Scotland ’ s coast and wildlife , both above and below the surface , to people at home and to show what is so often out of sight and out of mind .
We also wanted to hear from Scotland ’ s Ocean People what the sea means to them and investigate our human connection to the sea . So , over ten weeks , James ( on a kayak ) and I ( on a SUP ) paddled day and night to capture the above in what was to become my most formative and phenomenal expedition yet . We made a three-part film series called Scotland Ocean Nation , which will be available to stream for free on STV Player from 1 April .
I ’ ve picked out ten things I learned during those ten weeks - some are from the hours on end spent standing on my board , some are from submerging myself underwater and seeing what was there for myself , and some are from the incredibly insightful and passionate Ocean People I met around the coast . Here goes !
Words : Cal Major Photos : James Appleton