Kayaker sets sights on round-the-world trip

An adventurer has set his sights on rowing around the world after completing a 1,200-mile kayak trip from Greenland to Scotland.

Olly Hicks, right, and George Bullard have completed a 1,200-mile kayak trip from Greenland to Scotland

Olly Hicks and George Bullard arrived at Balnakeil Bay in Durness in the Highlands on Sunday morning - more than two months after they set off on the challenge following the trail of historic Inuit hunters.

They were inspired by reading mysterious reports from the 17th century of “strange men” spotted off the coast of Orkney.

Theories at the time suggested the men were fishermen from Finland or prisoners escaped from transport boats, with the possibility of Inuit tribesmen from Greenland ruled out because of the distance.

However, artefacts in Scottish museums, including hunting material and remains of an ancient, skin-cover kayak, suggest the men may have paddled from Greenland.

Mr Hicks, 34, and Mr Bullard, 28, decided to test the theory for themselves.

Mr Hicks said: “That was the idea behind the whole project - that the Finnmen in the 17th century had been sighted.

“We were trying to raise awareness of the story ... basically we were trying to add fuel to the fire of speculation that the Inuit really could have paddled all the way from Greenland to Scotland three centuries ago.”