Ben Kilner has crafted a unique amphibious machine that can transform between a road-going bike and a wooden boat.
Now, Ben plans to test his pedal-powered invention with a nine-day adventure across Scotland.
Having previously paddled down the River Thames in a homemade canoe, the adventurer was inspired to create his new machine after a camping trip left him unable to walk for several days.
The 36-year-old from Forest Row, near East Grinstead, explained, “It was deeply upsetting and highlighted how much I rely on my mobility and how much we take it for granted.”
Ben, in his pedal-powered canoe (Image: SWNS)
“One of the great things about Scotland is that you’re allowed to wild camp, whereas in the rest of the UK you’re not, so I’ll be wild camping the whole way.
“I’m excited to see the grand magnitude of Loch Ness and the Great Glen and to immerse myself in that.”
Ben embarked on his epic trek on Saturday, expecting the journey to last nine days.
He plans to cross Scotland by boat in five days via the Caledonian Canal, starting from Fort William, near Ben Nevis in the west of Scotland, and ending in Inverness in the east.
He will then switch the boat into bike mode, cycling back via the Great Glen Way over the course of four days.
Ben’s boat is handmade from steam-bent green oak and Douglas fir, with a ballistic nylon skin stretched over it. These materials make the machine very lightweight, allowing it to be effectively used on the road.
Ben on the water in his contraption (Image: SWNS)
Ben is also raising money for A Leg To Stand On, a charity providing prosthetic limbs to children in developing countries, and documenting his entire journey on his social media channels.
He said, “I have a combined following of over 700,000 people across my various accounts, and the build process has garnered about 50 million views so far.
“I’ll be doing daily updates on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok throughout the journey, and people can follow along.”
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