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Forty-six days ago, on 7 June 2023, Sussex resident Ian Butler set off to paddle his kayak solo from Shoreham-on-Sea in Sussex to John O’Groats – the most northerly point on mainland Scotland to raise money for the RNLI.

Age 61, Ian has never paddled this far before. In fact, he had never spent more than two days at sea in his kayak until he did a seven-day practice run from Shoreham to Maidstone round the Kent coast a couple of weeks before he finally set off. So this trip – solo, unsupported, and carrying all his kit in his boat, was a paddle into the unknown.

Ian is raising money for the charity RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and along the way he has dropped into lifeboat stations from Shoreham to Oban.

Ian said: “RNLI doesn't judge who's worth rescuing - they're there for all of us, whether we are adventurers in kayaks, fishing vessels, children blown out to sea in inflatables, or refugees. And everything they do is funded by donations - so I want to do something to help in return.”

Ian Butler in his sea kayak beside the Salcombe lifeboat

As to why he’s doing this massive challenge: “For a very long time I've wanted to do a Land's End to John O'Groats adventure. I set off on a bike many years ago to cycle and bivouac along the way but I soon realised I had the flu and abandoned the trip. I rediscovered my love of sea kayaking and saw that others had undertaken the route by sea and canal. I began to dream about doing it myself and started to train in my kayak on the Medway and at sea. I decided to spice my adventure up a little by starting from home in Sussex instead of Land’s End – I think the whole journey will be about 1200 miles and I’m literally heading into the unknown."

Along the way Ian has paddled with porpoises, battled wind, rain and tides, carefully navigated past the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool, and camped on uninhabited islands, in remote coves, and on busy beachfronts. And at every step, strangers have greeted him with amazing encouragement, mugs of tea, huge breakfasts (he may be looking a little thinner than when he started) and donations to the RNLI.

Ian has reached Scotland and is taking a day’s rest before the last push for John O’Groats.

You can track Ian as he paddles: https://my.yb.tl/sussextoscotland

Ian’s RNLI donation page: tinyurl.com/2348f7w2

Can you kayak from Shoreham to Scotland?