Why we row

I row because it is a constant source of fun - and of new and unexpected experiences.

I love being on the water, looking back on the land, especially when we have the sea to ourselves. I love the unpredictability of the sea and the weather, and the banter in the boat.

I never thought I would enjoy coxing but I love it - especially seeing the joy in the faces of new rowers. It’s also great to cox a crew who really gel and get the boat moving like an arrow through the water.

Rowing in so many different places - up the Tyne, up the Clyde, up the Coquet in Northumberland, to Granton and back and from Dunbar out to Tyninghame - is just such brilliant fun. The mix of the crew is always interesting and it’s great to see people gain new skills and confidence in the club.

The club has given me so much pleasure and hopefully, there is lots more to come!

I row because I love the sea and like looking at the land from the sea.

I also like the idea of all being in the same boat with people I like and enjoying the water and having a laugh.

I’m into racing now as well.

Great for physical and mental health.

Since I moved to East Lothian about 10 years ago I still love the fact that I now live next to the sea and have such fantastic views each day.

I stumbled across rowng from a friend at a gym class and I’m so glad I did. initially I was just interested in having something other than the gym to keep fit, however now a week without rowing feels odd. It’s a great chance to clear your head of the week’s nonsense and each row is a mini adventure. We have seen a lot of wildlife even just from outside the harbour, have been able to explore more of our local coastline, and also get further afield to join other clubs around the country in competitions.

My fitness has improved but it’s also got me out of my comfort zone on quite a number of occasions which has also helped my confidence. I’ve said ‘yes’ more often this year and I now realise that I’m not that old, so have volunteered with other organisations and trying sailing (rowing comes first though…). The club has also been very welcoming and I have made a lot of great friends that I want to spend time with in and out of the boat.

So if you want a good excuse to get out of the house and explore the countryside from a different perspective, come rowing.

I grew up by the sea in Northern Ireland, and when I was small I would go sailing with my dad, who in his youth was also a champion cox serving in the Ireland boys crew back in the 1970s (river rowing in racing shells, so a bit different to St Ayles skiffs…). My grandfather on dad’s side had served in the Navy (including during WWII) and was a dab hand at the oars too. So there’s a bit of a tradition among the men of my family to do with the sea and boats, and I’d been letting the side down for a while by staying on shore. So when I moved to Musselburgh in 2018 and saw the Eskmuthe skiffs out in the bay, I straightaway popped an email to the club and duly enrolled.

It has been great fun ever since, whether on dawn rows, social rows, or regattas (I got to go to the Netherlands last year for the Skiffieworlds, which was grand). There’s a great sense of camaraderie in the club, and rowing is great for the health; it’s a good way to unwind too, and being out on the water provides a different outlook on the city of Edinburgh, as well as the East Lothian coast.

I row as it is good for my mental health, as well as my physical health. Having had depression and anxiety issues, I found that on my weekends off, I was literally hibernating away.

Joining Eskmuthe gave me a purpose to go out in the fresh air, meet new people and get involved in a hobby I wish I had known about years ago.

The social side of the club is great, there is no pressure to join things if you don’t want to! For me, it has been the best decision I ever made this year.

That’s why I row!

Coastal rowing has everything, from friendly banter in the boats to competing in world championships - and it helps keep you fit and feel more connected to your local community.

I love rowing because it gets me out in the fresh air with a fine team of folk pitting our skills against whatever the weather has to throw at us.

Every row is different - the weather, the crew, the journey, I particularly like rows on cold sunny mornings to Porty for coffee and croissants.

This year we have done some epic rows to North Berwick and up the Clyde which give such a feeling of achievement - great for your physical and mental health, can’t recommend it enough!

I moved to Musselburgh nearly 4 years ago and a friend at work talked me into coming along for a row. I really enjoyed being out on the water.

However, I was interrupted by another baby arriving so it was another year before I started rowing regularly.

Now I go mainly for a bit fo me time!

It is also helping be get a bit fitter again and nurtures my competitive streak with racing!

As someone who isn’t keen on pushing myself out of my comfort zone into the unknown, there’s something comforting in the fact that the rowing club is so diverse.

From my first row to now, the camaraderie is what makes me keep coming back! The Eskmuthe community spirit is great!

They say that a problem shared is a problem halved… try sharing a problem with 4 crew in a boat - perspective!

Rowing has also been of huge benefit to my mental health. With the stresses of everyday life, there is a powerful feeling of awe when you’re out in the boat, and accomplishment when you’ve finished a row (especially competitively)!

The moving in tandem and the sound of the sea is genuinely amazing. Rowing with Esky has given me the opportunity to find an escape from life, keep fit, become a member of a large, diverse and interesting community, whilst making genuine friends.

Rowing with Esky now isn’t just a hobby, but it’s now an integral part of my life.