THREE young Inverclyde people are taking part in an adventure of a lifetime by sailing from Norway to Scotland.

The trio are on a trip with Greenock-based national sail training charity Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.

Greer Robertson, 21 of Wemyss Bay, Jamie Hopkin, 17 of Kilmacolm, and 19-year-old Mark Maxwell of Greenock were chosen to sail from the Arctic Circle to Inverness as part of a ‘unique’ leadership programme on board the Trust’s ship Alba Explorer.

Nick Fleming, chief executive of OYT Scotland and skipper for the 14-day voyage, said the programme will harness the enthusiasm and talent of the three locals and nine other young people who have sailed with the Trust previously and received a recommendation from the skipper.

The voyage at sea will cover more than 1,000 miles from the Norwegian port of Bodø, in the Arctic Circle, to Inverness and is already under way.

The sailors will explore the Lofoten Islands and Norwegian Fjords before heading across the North Sea and hopefully stopping off at the Shetland and Orkney Isles en-route to Inverness.

Nick said: “On board the voyage the 12 young people train to become watch leaders, honing their skills in sailing, youth work, teamwork and leadership. They will complete a range of qualifications during the programme including a SQA Leadership Award and a First Aid at Sea Certificate, and will learn how to operate all aspects of the vessel.

“In preparation for the voyage, they have all already completed basic training in navigation, sea survival, seamanship, menu planning, cooking, food hygiene and basic film-making.” Financed by the Young Start Fund, the programme annually produces 12 volunteer sea-staff for the Trust and has turned out hundreds of confident young leaders in Scotland over a period of 15 years.

Nick said: “There is no doubt that this voyage will be a formidable challenge physically, mentally and emotionally for our intrepid young leaders.

“They will need to dig deep, display true grit and determination and apply all the new skills they have learned during their training over the last six months.

“These qualities and skills will really help them stand out from the crowd and become leaders in their future careers.” OYT Scotland says its goal is to inspire positive change in 12 to 25-year-olds through the challenge of adventure under sail.