In 2022, the long-distance swims at Go Swim’s Loch Lomond event were shortened due to challenging weather conditions. In 2023, in contrast, the only difficulty caused by the weather was the brightness of the sun, which made sighting tricky early on. This was Loch Lomond at its glorious best. Flat calm and dazzling, and overlooked by the broadshouldered profile of Ben Lomond.
Distances on offer ranged from an accessible and family-friendly 250m up to an Olympic marathon swim distance of 10km. I had allowed myself to be talked into the latter. These things always seem like a better idea when you sign up to them than when you see the distance laid out in front of you in the water.