Grantham's Ross Edgley ends non-stop Loch Ness swim

Edgley swam continuously for two days and nights

An adventurer has finished one of the "biggest challenges of his career" after swimming continuously for more than two days and nights in Loch Ness.

Ross Edgley, 36, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, spent 52 hours and 39 minutes in the water and covered a distance of about 49 miles (79km).

He ended the challenge at Fort Augustus on Friday, short of his original aim of swimming 100 miles (160km).

The challenge was in support of a sea kelp conservation project.

"It was one of the biggest challenges of my career physically and mentally, but the important purpose behind it really motivated me to push myself as far as I did and I'm so proud to have inspired people to make a difference," he said.

Edgely, who became the first person to swim 1,780-miles around Great Britain in 2018, swam continuously without touching land or a boat for the whole period he was in the water.

Overnight temperatures dropped as low as 5C and at times he faced winds of up to 20 knots.

Edgley undertook the challenge for a sea kelp conservation project

"I wanted to thank everyone for their immense support and in particular the incredible hospitality I have received here in Scotland," the adventurer said.

Edgley made the attempt to raise awareness of the Scottish kelp seaweed forests with support of Skye whisky distillery Talisker and Parley for the Oceans, a non-profit environmental organisation.

"The longer I've been working with Talisker and Parley the more I've learnt about sea kelp and how essential the preservation of these amazing sea kelp forests are," he said.

Edgley believes he has broken the record for the longest ever open water swim in Loch Ness, in a wetsuit, but that has not been verified.