Sunday, October 27

Uri Geller thanks courageous swimmers for gathering rock from his ‘mystic’ Scottish island micronation

A gaggle of hardy fundraisers have accomplished a swim to an uninhabited Scottish island owned by Uri Geller to gather a rock for the movie star magician.

The Salty Selkies braved the Firth of Forth waters to swim to The Lamb final week.

Self-proclaimed psychic Mr Geller purchased the island, off North Berwick in East Lothian, in 2009.

He spent an evening on the basalt lump again in 2010 however forgot to take a rock residence with him after the expertise as a memento of the distant location.

Mr Geller additionally wished to check the age of rocks from The Lamb, as he believes there could possibly be a connection between the Scottish outcrop and the Egyptian pyramids.

After studying about The Salty Selkies swimming previous the island a few years in the past, he requested the group for a stone to show in his museum in Jaffa, Israel.

A view of Lamb Island (top) where Uri Geller plans to spend the night in search of Egyptian treasure.
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A view of Lamb Island (high), off North Berwick in East Lothian

Speaking from his residence in Tel Aviv, Mr Geller praised the swimmers for his or her epic journey as boats can not moor at The Lamb and the tides and currents make it harmful for these within the water.

The 76-year-old instructed Sky News that his island was “worse than Alcatraz”, the famed former most safety federal jail in San Francisco.

He mentioned: “What the swimmers did was tremendous superb. All of them have been completely and completely brave as a result of these are treacherous waters.

“They are very dangerous, and also, you never know when an underwater current could have swept them all away into the deep sea.”

The Salty Selkies swam to The Lamb. Meg Maitland with the rock. Pic: The Salty Selkies/Jo Hood
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Meg Maitland with the rock. Pic: The Salty Selkies/Jo Hood
The Salty Selkies swam to The Lamb. Pic: The Salty Selkies
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The Salty Selkies took lower than an hour to finish the problem. Pic: The Salty Selkies

When the island went up on the market greater than 14 years in the past, Mr Geller mentioned he felt a “very strong instinctive urge to buy it” as he believes it is among the most important websites in Britain.

He mentioned the volcanic outcrop is certainly one of three within the Firth of Forth which mirror the format of the pyramids at Giza in Egypt.

Mr Geller mentioned: “I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between the pyramids and these islands.”

Since buying The Lamb, Mr Geller has turned it right into a micronation and has a flag, structure and anthem.

Mr Geller mentioned he’ll now get the rock examined earlier than displaying it inside his museum alongside an image of the swimmers.

Read extra from Uri Geller:
John Lennon, aliens and recruiting residents for his micronation

The Salty Selkies swam to The Lamb. Pic: The Salty Selkies/Jo Hood
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The rock will ultimately be displayed at Uri Geller’s museum. Pic: The Salty Selkies/Jo Hood

‘We might have been swept alongside the coast’

The Salty Selkies turned the problem right into a charity fundraiser and have raised nearly £4,000 for Beach Wheelchairs, which gives specialist tools so individuals with mobility points can get out on the sand.

Mr Geller donated £1,000 to the fundraiser.

Group member Jo Lindsay mentioned: “We wanted to help Beach Wheelchairs as they do so much to help ease access to the beach for those who don’t find it so easy.

“I imagine they’ve sufficient now to pay for the deposit for a brand new powered seashore wheelchair, which is incredible information.”

Ms Lindsay said the members of the group, who have been swimming together for around five years, were “thrilled” it all went well.

She said: “We needed to plan it very rigorously and ensure we timed the tides excellent as we might have been swept alongside the coast if we might bought it flawed.”

The group brought the swim forward by a day as the conditions were “so a lot better” and took less than an hour to complete the challenge.

The Salty Selkies swam to The Lamb. Pic: The Salty Selkies
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The Salty Selkies needed to rigorously plan their swim. Pic: The Salty Selkies

Ms Lindsay added: “We’ve swum past The Lamb many times but never very close, and to actually swim up to it and stand on the beach was wonderful.

“We felt an enormous sense of feat however it additionally simply felt very calm and serene.

“As we left for the swim ashore, I was energised and invigorated and it was a really good strong swim – perhaps that’s due to The Lamb’s mystic powers.

“It’s not daily you are challenged by Uri Geller and gathering the rock for him was an exhilarating journey that all of us actually loved.”

Content Source: information.sky.com