Poetry and tweed on Rockall

Surface photos: Martyn Simpson

Aerial photos: 120 Sqn, RAF Kinloss

Three men from the Western Isles were among six adventurers who managed to get onto Rockall and raise the Scottish flag. Despite glorious sunny weather, sea conditions were difficult and cold and they had to swim to the rock from a dinghy because of the swell and turbulence – but only had one wetsuit among them. The six landed on Rockall individually and then swam back to give the suit to the next man.

The Nimrod photographs the Elinca at Rockall

However, Andy Strangeway, the Yorkshire-based expedition leader who is already in the record books for sleeping on 162 Scottish islands, was unable to land because he was concerned he was not a strong enough swimmer. They were in the expedition of 11 men on the 67ft steel-built former BT Challenge yacht Elinca which left for Rockall, 230 miles west of the Hebrides last week.

Skipper Angus Smith, who owns the Elinca, explained that faced with a 15ft swell, there was no alternative but to approach the rocky crag in a dinghy and then swim the last 10 or 15 metres. First to swim onto the rock was Mark Lumsden, 38, a surfing holiday operator and film producer who is based on Lewis. He was swept on by a wave and then clung onto kelp and hauled himself up before the next wave. He was one of only three to make it to the very top of Rockall.

When skipper’s son Innes Smith, 21, the full-time yacht crewman, went on he got to the top and not only unfurled a Scottish saltire but also a flag made of Harris Tweed which is woven in the Western Isles. Fellow Lewisman and former coastguard Ian Stephen, 52, a poet and sailor from Stornoway, also made it to the top and he pitched the Saltire on Rockall where it was seen and photographed by a Nimrod reconnaissance plane from RAF Kinloss which was training in the area.

Innes tries to land on the rock

The landings took place on Wednesday but problems with satellite communications meant that it was not known who had made it onto the rock until the yacht arrived back at Leverburgh on Harris on Sunday. Ian Stephen also wrote and read a poem, Rockall live, he had written specially, before making his descent. He said: “The patter on the boat was fantastic – very sharp. I was challenged by the other lads to write and read a poem so I just had to do it.”

Meanwhile, Andy Strangeway, 42, from Full Sutton in Yorkshire, said: “Yes, I am disappointed. But we have learned a lot from this trip and we will be trying again. I hope to make another trip in this yacht in August and I am looking for adventurers who want to come along.”

Charles Veley, 42, who flew in from San Francisco holds the title of the world’s most travelled man. He was one of three who got onto Rockall but not to the top. It was second time lucky for Veley who also tried to land there in 2005 with TV personality Ben Fogle but a severe swell meant they could only touch the rock so they left Post-it notes to say they had been there.

Innes makes the saltire flutter over Rockall

The others who managed to make it on were Martyn Simpson, 28, an oil industry worker from Peterhead who was at Rockall on the fishing boat his father was a crewman on when he was younger and David Langan, a Dublin-based furniture store boss. Before they set off, Langan, 47, claimed to be on a fact-finding mission to open an Irish-themed pub on the rock.

The tip of a dead volcano, Rockall is about 83ft wide at average sea level. It is 72ft in height and is sheer on one side. It is regularly washed over by large winter waves. About 13ft from the summit, there is a small ledge of 11ft by 4ft, which is known as Hall’s Ledge.

Radio amateur and emergency doctor Mike McGirr, 60, flew in from Chicago and had his hopes of broadcasting from the rock dashed by the swell. Others on the yacht who did not get onto the rock were Bob Dixon-Carter, 60, a Yorkshire-based retired tanker captain originally from South Africa, who was intrigued by the rock as he sailed past it and Tony Smith, 68, from Somerset who worked on St Kilda in 1966.

The Elinca stopped at St Kilda and one member of the expedition, Martyn Simpson, even managed to get a shower and refreshments – much to the envy of his shipmates. The swell has prevented many attempted landings on Rockall. Until the landing on Wednesday, the same number of people had officially been recorded to have walked on the moon as had landed on Rockall since recording began in 1810. Some of them were soldiers dropped by helicopter and are often discounted by adventurers.

Martyn Simpson makes it onto the rock

Mark Lumsden, who has already produced and released a surfing film, captured the Rockall expedition on video and talks are in progress for a DVD to be produced for commercial sale.

Andy Strangeway, meanwhile, said that while he was disappointed, it was not the end of the story and he would be trying again soon. A further expedition is planned for August.

Rockall live by Ian Stephen

When is a pimple a pinnacle
When there’s kittiwake guano
Icing on the bun that
Could have been baked by the mate’s mother.

There’s an island called Sugarloaf
Out of this hemisphere but
The sea doesn’t know
Our dividing lines.