Seasons greetings and blessings to everyone on this crispy Christmas day... I thought I had better update . The Southerly winds kept me locked in for so long I decided to make an attempt at visiting loved ones and just as I was returning the extra national measures came into play . I have been engaged in safely returning ever since . Many Covid tests and isolation techniques have kept me safe as possible . I am more aware than ever that my actions impact others. I have decided to continue and raise as much awareness and money as I can for Dare2Express . The implications of lockdown are wide ranging for society and mental health and as I can be virtually self sufficient I am now in position and wait for the next Gov review date, then be ready for my next safe paddle window. I think it is vital that funds be raised where safely appropriate . If I could just reiterate that I have tested and retested myself and I do not carry any strains of covid .We have checked well and are working within the gov guidelines. Thanks again all who support me . I feel privileged to be experiencing these times with you all . Enjoy your Christmas x Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint Buy your ??????? ???????? ?????? tee shirts now from https://charlieheadsup.teemill.com/collection/new/ ???% ?? ??? ??????? go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/fi... EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure *** ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????://???.??????????????.??? *** #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #letsgetmental #mentalhealthawareness #viking #enviromental #woodfiredpizza @Fanatic SUP

A ???? thank-you to all who sent me birthday messages , I'm touched and honored to have met you all .. you've made it so special for me x Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint Buy your ??????? ???????? ?????? tee shirts now from http://LINK.CHARLIEHEADSUP.COM/TEE-SHIRTS ???% ?? ??? ??????? go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/fi... EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure *** ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????://???.??????????????.??? *** #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #letsgetmental #mentalhealthawareness #viking #enviromental #woodfiredpizza @Fanatic SUP International @Rapanuii @Epic Water Filters @Palmgear @SurfCO2 @John Dennis - dare2express

My Rocky Bothy ! kept me snug on a frosty night . I had to rebuild some of the roof but it was worth it !. Liberating these buoys and then selling them back to raise money for dare2express :) Meeting with Jordan Wylie who's now made it to cape wrath ! Keep going dude!#instawild #coastal #naturelovers Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint Buy your ??????? ???????? ?????? tee shirts now from https://charlieheadsup.teemill.com/co... ???% ?? ??? ??????? go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/fi... EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure *** ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????://???.??????????????.??? *** #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #letsgetmental #mentalhealthawareness #viking #enviromental #woodfiredpizza @Fanatic SUP International @Rapanuii @Epic Water Filters @Palmgear @SurfCO2 @John Dennis - dare2express

Most marine polution is plastic rope and more than 640,000 tonnes of nets, lines, pots and traps used in commercial fishing are dumped and discarded in the sea every year, the same weight as 55,000 double-decker buses. Heroic efforts to tackle the problem are needed. Like Julien from Durness Plasticatbay.org we talked all things marine plastic and how he turns it into usable items in his lab . I also met this huge plastic Orka which was designed to scare away seals from eating fish stocks and sadly has been the closest I've been to a killer whale this trip. Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint Buy your ??????? ???????? ?????? tee shirts now from https://charlieheadsup.teemill.com/co... ???% ?? ??? ??????? go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/fi... EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure ***You can also donate to Dare2express my website*** http://www.charlieheadsup.com Follow my Rappa-Blogs https://www.youtube.com/playlist... #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #mentalhealthawareness #viking #enviromental @Fanatic SUP International @Rapanui Epic @Water Filters @Palmgear @SurfCO2 @DARE to Express

Approaching the Wrath and going round it was very frisky conditions and sometimes quite hard to read what the water was doing. Swell coming one way, bouncing off the cliffs, waves breaking in odd places and really quite difficult sea state but SO awesome to finally get round it ! Its been like a mythical beast. Sadly as soon as I got round though that was just the start of all the issues. The big surf that was coming in was lighting up the whole cliff line and the entire coastline looked like it was on fire from all the spray from the water being jacked up. I found it very difficult to find a place to come in and with only a couple of hours of light left I was forced to make a bit of a sketchy entrance to what looked like a slightly less bombarded bit of cliff that led me to a rocky beach and an awkward scramble up to get safely out of there . Luckily I managed to time the sets right and didn't get destroyed on the way in and made my camp for the night which would be my home from home for the next 48 hrs #bothy #capewrath Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint You can donate here https://www.justgiving.com/.../dare2expressdonationscharl... Buy your ??????? ???????? ?????? tee shirts now from https://charlieheadsup.teemill.com/co... ???% ?? ??? ??????? go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/fi... EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure http://www.charlieheadsup.com Follow my Rappa-Blogs

I wanted to highlight some local heros who have been taking action on the current mental health funding crisis. We're not on our own , there are people out there who want to help ?? ? Black Dog Outdoors:? Blackdog Outdoors is a charity established to promote improved mental health, and general well-being, by reconnecting people with the outdoors. Website:- http://www.blackdogoutdoors.co.uk/ Mikeysline based in Inverness:? Mikeysline was founded in late 2015 after a number of suicides in the Highland area. With text-based support, which includes SMS, Facebook Messenger, Webchat and Twitter. The Hive, our crisis centre, with appointments and dropin available in Inverness City Centre. Text 07786 20 77 55 for support. ??Listening Ear Scotland in Caithness -Thurso and WIck area-? Due to experiencing a number of premature deaths (suicide and drugs related), in the past few months due to poor mental health. A new service is being set up in response to the growing needs of the community to find support in a crises. Julie Marker, Projects Coordinator for Caithness Voluntary Group. (CVG) Listening Ear will provide pop up sessions with trained 'Listeners' who will act as a cushion of support in times of need. The Listening team come from a range of backgrounds, including the NHS, and are passionate about giving their time to potentially save lives and alleviate stress. Initial sessions will be held in Wick and Thurso, with plans to extend the service into schools in the new year and into more remote and rural areas thereafter. look to the facebook page for sessions information . https://www.facebook.com/ListeningEarScotland/ Photo credit Donald Morrison

North Coast has been so special so far and so snug! Ive been welcomed and supported so much. Very much enjoyed wild swimming with Nigel and Andi. Thanks for letting me use your Wifi for my interview! Dani Sinhan and the Channel 5 News Team were great. Thanks so much . Special thank you to - Scott Youngson ,Neil Uprichard ,Emily Alsopp and Toby and all the coastguard teams. Kevin Innes @ wee hoose glamping Nigel and Andi Carter @ Borgie Lodge Hotel -wishing you a speedy recovery ⚡️⚡️?- Hugh and Frances Morrison @ the Smoo Cave -for rest and power ups !? Charlie ?????????? Stand Up Paddleboarding around the Scottish coastline raising money for Dare2express.org mental health charity. Solo unsupported as #sustainable as possible, zero #footprint Follow my rappa-blogs as I journey into my own mind. Help me support www.Dare2Express.org! Buy your ORGANIC RECYCLED FIBERS tee shirts now from https://charlieheadsup.teemill.com/collection/new/ 100% OF OUR PROFITS go to Dare2express.org Registered Charity number: 1166072 Below is a link to excellent advice and an app to help you find help if you are considering harming yourself. https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/find-help-now/stay-alive-app/ EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure http://www.charlieheadsup.com #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #letsgetmental #mentalhealthawareness #community #enviromental #palmgear

Tops!

Sky the local doggo, illustrating how I feel after my monster paddle. Thank you James and Danny for the fin and all at Windhaven who have made me so welcome. Stalking the weather once again waiting for my next window .EMPOWERED BY EDUCATION Inspired Through Adventure http://www.charlieheadsup.com #mentalhealthmatters #charlieheadsup #letsgetmentalking #breathwork #meditation #mindfulness #wimhoffmethod #epicwaterfilters #expeditionfoods #fanaticsup #rapanuiclothing #surfco2 #paddleboarding #dare2express #wildcamping #letsgetmental #mentalhealthawareness #community #enviromental #wherescharlie

- a little over 106km into Wick harbour from Rosehearty within 24hours - I didn't stop paddling, even to eat! Just taking a couple of mouthfuls at a time and carrying onwards. I couldn't really afford any delays being so heavy and slow. To start with I had fairly mild winds that shifted a few times through the night with only the occasional sound of cetaceans breathing through their spiracles before some solid SE winds forced through. During the first half of the night when vessels were close by but not on my course, I would turn off all my lights so they wouldn't have a reason to investigate me and interact. However, if those ships were looking like they were coming on a more direct course I would make myself clear that I was there with all my lights on. If a ship was on my track or was gaining on me or on the same trajectory I would check the shipping traffic and what their course was, speed and size, then that would inform my next steps to action. To either slow down, radio them directly or give them a bigger signal. The last section. I had to cut through the Moray Offshore Wind Farm due to my course having been altered somewhat by the wind that was building fast. Travelling through windfarms is dangerous. This is something that I was only able to safely do because of the good communication with the crews and site management teams. It's very important to have safety measures for if things go wrong. However, I do love the authenticity of solo and unsupported exploration. It feeds a connection in me to my world. I had a beautiful moment in the middle of the night, halfway across. With 50km of ocean between me and the nearest bit of land, at a time and place where I felt most vulnerable, suddenly the clouds cleared and gave way to the vibrant and guiding beacon of Polaris. Until that point, I had inconsistent and awkward means by which to navigate. It was a welcome relief because the screen of the equipment gave me night blindness and my torch on my head was making me disoriented. With no landmarks, I had to refer to either a GPS or compass which would also require interrupting my rhythm and speed. So navigating by the stars was a welcomed relief .