WINTER TALK - Trip to St Kilda - Stuart MacDonald

Please give a warm welcome to Stuart MacDonald who will give an invigorating and undoubtedly fascinating talk about his trip to St Kilda in 2016, probably with a few detours into some of his other adventures.

Stuart might well be known to some members as he is a local sailor, sailing out of Fisher Row at present.

Stuart cuts a unique figure, having been born with single side affected thalidomide, so he has one hand, a degree of dyslexia and he describes himself as clumsy. Being born in the mining village of Whitecraig, where 'no quarter given' rules apply, and finding he was no good at football, he decided to take up not only sailing, but also climbing and became a joiner to trade! We are grateful that his sailing exploits have provided the fodder for this talk, or 'show'.

The St Kilda trip was accompanying "The Rev'' Bob Shepton, in his yacht Dodo's Delight , together with 2 professional climbers and camera man, so there should be some splendid footage for us. Bob Shepton is a renowned artic sailor who may also be a familiar name to many.

The off-piste detours I hope will include a mention of Stuart's 2007 North Sea Challenge from Stravanger, The remarkable-sounding 3 man crew had 3 hands and 3 feet between them, so there must be more to be told about this trip too.

Stuart retired from an Occupational Therapy post in the Mental Health Team in the NHS, and now teaches joinery in Castlebrae High School, Craigmillar, and has just helped the pupils build a rowing skiff. Sounds quite a feat too!

I don't want to reveal any more about Stuart's history, or the subject of his talk, but I'm sure you will be interested, impressed and moved listening to what he has to say. It should be a great evening.

Last updated 2:09pm on 14 March 2025