Photo Credit: Dave Dickerson
Inverness Rowing Club believes it has the best stretch of water not just in Scotland but across the U.K., and with good reason. The city, known as ‘the gateway to the highlands,’ is home to the Caledonian Canal. Twice a year, the club welcomes hundreds of crews from across Scotland to race on a very special 4.5km course just north of Loch Dochfour and the world-famous Loch Ness.
2024 saw a record number of entries making the journey to the U.K.’s most northern rowing club. Over 700 crews raced across two days, culminating in George Watson’s College winning the weekend’s Victor Ludorum.
The Edinburgh-based school won 18 events across the six divisions, including two wins for GB/France winner Ezra Ferguson in the J18 and OR1 single scull. Caitlin Warnock of Glasgow Rowing Club, the silver medallist from this year’s WJ15 single at the British Championships, won the WJ18 single.
While Watson’s won the lion’s share of events, the University of Edinburgh’s open quad were the fastest crew of the weekend. However, this crew were racing ‘time only; so we turn to Glasgow University’s OR1coxless four, stroked by Alexander Beeson as the best-performing crew of the weekend. They held off stiff competition from Edinburgh, Clydesdale ARC, University of St Andrews, and Heriot-Watt University to storm to victory on Sunday.
On the women’s side, Edinburgh’s baby blue army were out in force in women’s coxless fours, taking the top three spots and the fastest weekend time for the crew stroked by Izzy Clements. The Edinburgh women also repeated this feat in the coxed fours.
Clements also picked up the top prize in the women’s single scull competition, while former GB Rowing Team athlete Alan Sinclair was back on his home water to win the men’s equivalent.
Across some of the junior events, Glasgow Academy put together an impressive series of rows. They were dominant across several of the J18 events, winning both open and women’s quads along with the women’s coxed and coxless fours.
Inverness also provided a full field of racing for masters, and both St Andrew Boat Club and Aberdeen Boat Club left with their trailers clinking with silverware. The two clubs won six masters events apiece, and St Andrew, after teaming up with the host club, also won in the OMas pair.
Inverness Rowing Club President and Scottish Rowing Board member Robert Gordon was thrilled with this year’s event.
“The sun on Saturday made for a great day, it’s always invited but doesn’t always make it,” he said. “I really enjoy seeing all the clubs attending en-mass. People coming together and enjoying their sport on our home water makes it all worthwhile.
“It is a huge privilege to host such an event. [We have] amazing water and clubs from across Scotland attend with participants from across the rowing ages and experiences. For some, it will be their first race after taking up rowing.“
“The canal is wide and enables opportunities for safe overtaking, we have a course that provides 4.5k of rowing and the scenery is quite something.”
Like all clubs and venues, Inverness had to improvise and adapt during the global pandemic, but Gordon believes the club has delivered a far greater racing experience in the years that have followed.
“Covid reduced us to single sessions so getting crew rowing back was really important. Our numbers have risen since Covid with the introduction of a third division each day.“
“I’m not sure we are seeking growth but focused more on providing as positive an experience as we can. It enables clubs and Scottish Rowing to come together and that is really positive,” he added.
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