World record-breaking Edinburgh brothers conquer notorious stretch of water the Minch at third attempt
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
It’s third time lucky for the brothers, who became famous after crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Three brothers from Edinburgh who made global headlines after crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, have completed a row across the Minch at the third attempt.
Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean rowed from Ullapool to Stornoway on Thursday, July 16, less than 24 hours after being reunited with Rose Emily, the boat in which they completed their record-breaking Pacific crossing.
The brothers have broken world records rowing across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and raised more than £1 million for charity through their adventures.
However, until Thursday, the notoriously unpredictable stretch of water separating Scotland’s north-west coast from the Outer Hebrides had continued to elude them.
The trio had attempted to cross the Minch twice while training for their Pacific expedition, but were forced to turn back on both occasions because of poor weather.
Their latest attempt began in Ullapool at 1pm on Wednesday and ended in Stornoway around 13 hours later, after covering approximately 45 nautical miles.
After reaching Lewis, the brothers delivered a signed copy of their first book, Three Brothers in a Boat: A True Story of Adventure and Purpose Rowing the Pacific, to the Baltic Bookshop in Stornoway.
Jamie Maclean said: “The Minch was very kind to us, which certainly wasn’t the case the last two times we tried it.
“Not completing the crossing had eaten away at us, so it feels brilliant to have finally done it. Now that we’ve conquered it, we can get on with our lives.
“We had the Pacific playlist booming, morale was very high and even the freeze-dried meals went down a treat. There’s nothing quite like a homemade chicken ruby when you’re out on the water.
“After almost 12 months away from Rose Emily, it felt as though we had never left her. We are incredibly grateful to Menzies Aviation for getting her home safely.”
Rose Emily arrived in Ullapool from Sydney on Wednesday after being transported to Scotland by the brothers’ partner, Menzies Aviation.
The boat had been housed at the Australian National Maritime Museum since September 2025, following the brothers’ arrival in Cairns at the end of their 139-day Pacific crossing.
Their new book is based on the daily ship’s logs written during their 9,000 mile expedition, which attracted thousands of followers and support from figures including Mark Wahlberg, Flea, Ewan McGregor and Lorraine Kelly.
Youngest brother Lachlan Maclean said: “Just a few years ago, we were complete rowing novices, so it feels strange to say that we genuinely enjoyed rowing across the Minch.
“It can be an unforgiving stretch of water, and we have experienced that first-hand during our previous attempts.
“Writing the book was incredibly emotional and presented a completely different type of challenge. I was probably more daunted by starting the book than I was by setting off across the Pacific.
“We’re incredibly proud of it and can’t wait for people to read it, starting with readers in Stornoway.”
.jpeg?trim=1,0,1,0&crop=&width=640&quality=65)
Beau Paine, executive vice-president of cargo at Menzies Aviation, added: “We’re proud to have helped bring Rose Emily home to Scotland after her time in Australia.
“Supporting the Maclean brothers on this journey is a fitting example of what our global cargo network is designed to do – safely and reliably move valuable and often unique shipments across the world.”
The brothers recently returned from Madagascar, where they visited the construction of boreholes funded through the Maclean Foundation. The clean-water projects will support approximately 40,000 people.