Durness native's Atlantic row challenge
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A DURNESS native and former soldier is “rowing the Atlantic” in a mission to raise funds for an armed forces charity.
Johnnie Baillie, now living in Inverness, is endeavouring to row the equivalent of 3000 miles at the rate of 5000 metre strokes a day on a rowing machine.
He began his challenge a few months ago after setting up at the Tesco store in the city’s retail park – where he previously worked for 20 years. And he even spent his 80th birthday on July 21 rowing.
Mr Baillie, who lives with his wife, Gina, aims to reach his goal in November but plans to row his last mile in the real Atlantic, on the west coast.
The money raised will go to Erskine Hospital, Renfrewshire, which provides a range of services to Scottish-based armed forces veterans and their families.
His previous fundraising projects have raised more than £11,000 for Erskine while his rowing challenge has raised £2500 so far.
Besides raising money for Erskine, Mr Baillie has over the years raised over £8000 for children’s hospital charity Chas, and over £1000 for Kinlochshiel Junior Shinty League, when he lived in South West Ross and ran his wife’s family croft, while also working as a “Kishorn Commando” at the pioneering concrete oil rig construction yard.
Educated at Durness Primary School and the former Sutherland Technical School in Golspie, Mr Baillie joined the Royal Military Police for three years at 18, and served mostly in security at NATO Headquarters, then located in Paris.
He always maintained an interest in the Army, and after his return to civilian life, joined the Army reserve. He volunteered for a spell as a member of the British peacekeeping force in Bosnia in the 1990s.
His father, John Baillie, was one of the Highlands’ most experienced sheep stock experts of his generation and was awarded MBE for his contribution to agriculture.
Johnnie and his five siblings were raised at Balnakiel Farm, where Mr Baillie senior worked.
