With less than two weeks until they take the plunge, the 24-hour Liniclate pool lifeguards’ swimming challenge is closing in on their fundraising target.

The 8-strong team plan to swim 99 miles, the equivalent of the Uig to Tarbert and Lochboisdale to Mallaig ferry routes, to raise funds for the Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative.

But the fundraiser has caught the local imagination so much that the lifeguards have had to allocate swimming slots to friends, family and former work colleagues who want to help them out.

Their swimming marathon begins at 5.30 pm on Sunday, March 26 and ends 24 hours later at 5.30 pm on Monday, March 27.

At the time of writing, their online appeal at crowdfunder.co.uk had raised £980, just shy of their £1000 target.

However, there are also collection tins at various places in Uist.