Editorial – The Scottish Banner Says….

September 2025 (Vol. 49, Number 03)

The Banner Says…

The Scots combining passion with purpose

Earlier this year we featured the incredible story of the Maclean brothers who are currently rowing their way from Peru across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. Long time readers may also recall we also featured the brother’s incredible Atlantic row in 2020 where they spent 35 days crossing the ocean and setting three world records in the process (the first three brothers to row any ocean and the fastest and youngest trio to ever row the Atlantic Ocean).

Innovative spirit

The Maclean brothers are Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan and they are not just a trio of Scottish adventurers, whose feats in ocean rowing are nothing short of extraordinary. What makes them so incredible is not just their physical endurance, but the sheer scale of their ambition, their innovative spirit, and their unwavering commitment to a cause  far greater than themselves. The brothers are rowing for clean water projects in Madagascar and have an ambitious target of raising £1 million to help tens of thousands of people to have clean water. Something that should be every human’s right.

In January I had the chance to meet the three brothers in Edinburgh as they were busily preparing for the journey and to send their 28-foot carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily (named in memory of their late sister) off to South America. During that meeting Jamie and Lachlan took me to see Rose Emily, which was built with Formula One materials and was in storage on land waiting to be driven off to the port.

The boat is small and the two cabins even smaller and I was only on board for a few minutes and wondered how anyone could spend a great deal of time aboard. I did not need to ask the brothers what their bond is like, as for anyone to venture on a vessel of that size you really must like your crew!

If like me you may have been following their journey online, you can visit either their website or social media accounts for all kinds of information on how they are doing day to day. There you can also see how they handle sea sickness, how they eat and drink (they survive on rehydrated meals and desalinated water), sleep and even use the loo. Beneath their boat, the depths of the Pacific Ocean have plunged to around 6,000 metres, or nearly four miles straight down, which is deeper than Ben Nevis stacked five times over. The nights have been dark, and wind has pushed them back, but they keep going.

It has been wonderful to see a list of celebrities reach out and help raise the profile of the mission. Ewan McGregor, Mark Wahlberg, Sam Heughan are just some of the names that have given the Maclean’s the encouragement to keep going. And though their arrival into Sydney Harbour may not go to plan as they now look to come ashore in Cairns in Queensland, and will hopefully have done so by the time many read this, regardless they will have accomplished a tour de force in every possible sense of that phrase.

In this issue

Glasgow has again hosted the pipe bands from across the world at the 2025 World Pipe Band Championships. We feature this iconic event in this issue and congratulations to all the bands which took part.

We are also thrilled to feature Jacqueline McLaren, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, whose passion for Scotland’s largest city is clear. The city is celebrating its 850th anniversary this year, and the Lord Provost is rightfully proud of Glasgow’s incredible history and exciting future ahead.

I recently again visited Culloden Battlefield. Culloden Moor marks the brutal 1746 defeat of the Jacobites, ending their uprising and triggering cultural suppression across the Scottish Highlands. The somber site is a war grave, and archaeologists will soon be scouring the site to look for more artifacts and pieces of this brutal story and sacred site in the Highlands.

Brotherly unity

As we complete this issue the Maclean brothers are at over 130 days of rowing unsupported. They have no engine, no sail, and no support crew and the brother’s row in shifts around the clock. They have faced months of challenging conditions such as salt sores, sleep deprivation, inclement weather and technical failures and they have shown resilience, creativity, and brotherly unity.

But their journey is not just about athleticism and creating records. It’s a mission to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar through their charity, The Maclean Foundation. Their story is a testament to what’s possible when adventure meets purpose. They’re not just rowing oceans—they are reshaping what it means to take on a monumental challenge for the greater good. As Lachlan said to me earlier this year “we are looking to combine passion with purpose”, well that they truly have and we are all cheering them on with every stroke of their oars.

If any of our readers and followers can help, please do so. You can track their progress and donate to their £1 million fundraising target at: www.themacleanbrothers.com.

Do you have you any comments from the content in this month’s edition? Share your story with us by email, post, social media or at: www.scottishbanner.com/contact-us

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