This summer, Scotland will host the Global Open Water Swimming Conference, which is set to attract 500 of the world’s leading athletes and practitioners to the country’s shores.

Colleen Blair, the first woman to swim from Shetland to mainland Scotland, was the guest of honour at the event last Thursday, April 17, as the World Open Water Swimming Association announced the launch of its conference in style.

Ms Blair, from Aberfeldy, is an accomplished open water swimmer with her feats including being the first woman to swim the Pentland Firth, swimming around Manhattan, Jersey, across the English Channel, the North Channel, and also Loch Ness.

She wasn’t challenged too much at the launch though, as the event provided a chance for a training session.

Robert Hamilton, a renowned open water swimming coach, told the Advertiser: “The event went amazingly and it makes us feel confident that the rest of the events we have planned will go just as well.

“We intend to have something every two-to-four weeks with many open water swimmers from all over the world helping to publicise the event and show Scotland is at the centre of this sport.” Robert said during the last three years the amount of open water swimmers in the UK has quadrupled in size with 30,000 participants taking part in the event at Loch Lomond and 10,000 joining in at an event in Windermere.

He added: “There is a lot of interest and hopefully hosting events like the conference will only help increase that.” The Global Open Water Swimming Conference will take place at the neo-gothic mansion of Mount Stuart, on the Isle of Bute, between September 20 to 21.

The event includes a series of talks from internationally recognised speakers, a 2k open water swim in St Ninian’s Bay, a hall of fame induction ceremony and an awards lunch.