Strong Winds Are Forecast: A solo, 1850 mile journey by sea kayak, to every lifeboat station around Scotland.

I was slightly unsure about buying this book because, if I'm honest, I thought "self-published book, the author's first book, is it going to be readable?" but I went ahead because I've followed Nick on twitter for years and I love his positive approach to everything.But it's a brilliant read! Gripping from the first page to the end. I was always wanting to know what's going to happen next and somehow every day is different and Nick gives just the right level of detail for a non-kayaker to understand the nature of the decisions he has to take and the skill he has developed to tackle what nature throws at him (and how he knows when to let nature get on with it and stay in his tent).It's a bit strange reading (in this book) about him arriving on Islay back in 2015 on the same day as Nick was actually arriving (live on Twitter) on Islay on his latest adventure (which is a 365 day paddle-at-leisure around part of the Scottish coast depending on where the mood and the weather takes him). I only got slight confused.If you enjoy real-life-adventure and want to read about how close you can get to things going badly wrong, while meeting many wonderful people he found as he paddled to every RLNI lifeboat station around Scotland this is a great book for you.Publishing houses should be looking to sign Nick up for his next book!PS - I bought the paperback version (it's also available on Kindle but who wants to spend more time staring at a screen) and I actually think the paper version is vital in this case because I found I needed to keep referring to Nick's hand-drawn maps to get a sense of how the coastal locations were connected.

This book was perfect to pick and read when I had a quiet 20 minutes or so. Instantly I felt transported into a peaceful calmer place and enjoyed reading about Nick’s travels around the coast of Scotland as if I was doing it myself. Not being a kayaker but loving the sea and nature, this was the next best thing. The story came to life and has inspired me to explore more of the places that I haven’t yet seen. I found this a candid authentic account of Nick’s experience of solitude peppered with genuine social encounters with friends and acquaintances along the way. Well worth a read and supporting the RNLI is a great cause.

An inspirational & evocative account of a journey, in terms of both the physical and mental aspects of kayaking around Scotland's coastline, an epic trip of around 2000 miles! A test of endurance and achieved through meticulous planning and attention to detail. There were moments when pride and determination pushed past what some might deem to be sensible actions, but that is part of the appeal perhaps for both Nick Ray and readers?

Purchased on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I'm not a sea kayaker but will be giving it a go very soon!

A marvellous insight into Nick's kayaking adventures. Ahighly recommend read, that is both detailed and captivating. Made all the more interesting as I started reading it in the day Nick set off on his latest adventure, Scotland 365.

This is a raw piece of fabulous writing. Nick writes superbly about everything which makes us human: the ups, the downs: other's humanity, and his own vulnerability: whilst embarking on an epic journey to visit Scotland's Life Boat Stations.Highly recommended.

This is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable and honest books I've ever read. There's no embellishment and no artistic filter, just a story of an experience as raw as it gets. A wonderful and refreshing, page turning read.

Nick gives a very good glimpse into his adventures and difficulties as a kayaker travelling the Scottish waters. Brave soul. Well worth the read.

I followed his journey online and now I can read about it.

Having met Nick during his voyage, I was interested to read the long story version. In Strong Winds are Forecast we get to know the details of his journey, and a bit more about Nick himself.Nick writes well. His broad use of vocabulary required me to learn some new words (a good thing!) His descriptions of nature struck me as brilliantly observed and beautifully expressed.Having sailed some of the same coast myself I am aware that kayaking round Scotland is a journey that is physically, and above all – mentally, extremely challenging. Like most of us, Nick is not a kamikaze daredevil. As such, he has to overcome relatable fears to set out on and ultimately complete his voyage. There is honest treatment of (to me) recognisable struggles and experiences. Thanks, Nick, for putting these into words, and good luck facing the Scottish winter on your current adventure.

The handbook is limited useful for EU paddlers. Due to Brexit there are 8.30 € additional costs for import turnover tax and handling fees. In all too expensive - no recommendation for paddlers in EU.

I’ve read a lot of paddling adventure books and I really enjoyed this one. Nick is a great storyteller and came across as down to earth. It was hard to put the book down! I purchased a second copy to gift to a friend. If you’re looking to get pulled into an epic adventure I recommend you read this book.