NEWS: Outdoor swimmer makes a splash on TikTok with 16M views

Photo © Calum Maclean

Scottish writer and broadcaster Calum Maclean has seen a surge in views on TikTok for his latest video in which he explores the 310-metre-deep Loch Mòrar, the deepest loch in Scotland. With over 16 million views, more than the number of people who are reported to swim in the UK have watched the video.

Maclean explains that Loch Mòrar is so deep because isostatic rebound cut it off from the sea to create one of the shortest rivers in the country, and that a creature known as Mòrag of Loch Mòrar is fabled to inhabit its waters.

It’s part of a series of videos Maclean is releasing to coincide with the advice featured in his new book, 1001 Outdoor Swimming Tips. Another video covers safety advice, from taking a tow float so boats can see you, to checking for underwater obstructions before you dive in. The book covers everything from biosecurity, nutrition, swimming wild pregnant or during the menopause, night swimming, safety, swimming with children, cold water swimming, essential gear and training.

According to Swim England, fourteen million people in the UK go swimming, with seven and a half million choosing to swim outdoors, and about ninety-one million Americans over the age of sixteen swim in oceans, lakes and rivers every year.

Calum’s book, 1001 Outdoor Swimming Tips, is available to order now