Now coming into their fourth year of running swimming trips in collaboration with the ship, a swimming holiday with SwimTrek aboard the Lady of Avenel offers a unique and adventurous trip unlike any other. Perfect for the thrill seeker, these challenging trips combine exploring the best wild swimming to be found around Scotland and Ireland with walks on the islands we'll visit and the opportunity to try your hand at crewing on a traditional tall ship. Guests get the added thrill of living aboard the ship for the duration of the week and the chance to travel to their swims and walks in a sustainable way.

SwimTrek is offering three trips aboard the Lady of Avenel in 2020; the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye and the Small Isles in Scotland and the Donegal Atlantic Way trip in Ireland. Each trip offers a great chance to see these stunning parts of the world from a different perspective.

The Lady of Avenel is a 102-foot Brigantine square rigged ship with 12 guest berths and staff quarters. Originally built in Poland in 1969 as a tug vessel, she was refitted in 1992 and the ship made her film debut in 2016 in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass', the sequel to Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'. She is a majestic ship and traveling around these remote parts of Scotland and Ireland offers a fantastic way to see this part of the world.

On the trip, guests will be able enjoy exploring these areas both on and in the water, as well as the thrill of life on a traditional tall ship for a week. We'll visit unique places, exploring lochs, islands and stunning and quiet beaches as we go. Starting in June in the Outer Hebrides, guests will have the opportunity to swim along the southern stretch of the Outer Hebrides from South Uist to Berneray. Here we'll explore some of Scotland's farthest lying islands, with highlights including the white sand beach of Mingulay. Our Isle of Skye and the Small Isles trip features swims in several impressive lochs and the opportunity to travel to each of the Small Isles; Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Finally, there's a thrilling trip along the west coast of Ireland on our Donegal Atlantic Way tour. Here guests will get to see some of the wildest and most remote parts of the country, making for incredible swims. We'll journey to Owey Island and Arranmore and take coastal swim alongside the beautiful Fanad Head.

Jules and Stefan Fritz, owners of the Lady of Avenel, are adventurers at heart and are passionate about sharing this love with others. “This is a unique chance see and experience nature in the more remote areas of Britain on a beautiful tall ship,' said Jules. 'Swimming and sailing in these areas is a very special experience. The trips are perfect for the eco-conscious as we travel sustainably, and you can get involved on the boat and learn new skills.”

SwimTrek's adventurous Lady of Avenel trips sailing around the British Isles are running from June to August in 2020. Prices begin from £1,380 per person based on a shared room. Packages include fully guided swimming tour, 6 nights accommodation and all meals. Travel to and from the start of the tour not included.

Full trip information can be found at https://www.swimtrek.com/packages/type/swimming-holidays-lady-of-avenel. For further media enquiries, please contact Thomas Bevan, SwimTrek Head of Marketing ( thomas@swimtrek.com or Olivia Weatherill, SwimTrek Marketing Executive, (olivia@swimtrek.com), tel. +44 (0)1273 223 002.

Editor's notes

SwimTrek are the market leaders and pioneers of open water swimming. Launched in 2003, SwimTrek has grown from a select pick of locations in the Mediterranean and the British Isles, to running trips across Europe and constantly expanding to include destinations such as the Middle East, The Caribbean and Africa. It continues to be the world's leading open-water swimming specialist and welcomes all levels of open-water swimmers and uses highly trained guides and expert local pilots. SwimTrek also produces swim events, swim coaching & bespoke open water experiences.