The Highland Swing is a thrilling new adventure activity from Highland Fling Bungee. The daring ride is a cross between a vertical bungee jump and a huge swing.
It is a first for Britain and takes place at a site high above a dramatic gorge in Perthshire.
Harnessed swingers travel a gravity defying arc at high speeds and a distance of half the length of a football pitch.
Tell me more: Harnessed bridge swings are already popular in the bungee-pioneering heartlands such as New Zealand, Australia and countries in southern Africa
Now the exhilarating activity has arrived in Scotland at Britain’s first permanent harnessed Bridge Swing.
The swing is located at an historic and dramatic gorge over the River Garry at Killiecrankie, which is also known as The Soldier’s Leap.
Architects have designed a platform that moves backwards and forwards on wheels over the edge of the 131ft deep gorge.
First, the swinger is harnessed into position before the platform retracts, leaving them suspended momentarily high above the water.
With a single chord pull, the ride begins as the swinger plunges 50ft before making a 165ft arcing swing at high speed from one shore of the river to the other.
A swinger is left suspended ahead of the ride.
Laurie Thomas, from Perthshire, was one of the first to try the Perthshire swing.
He said: “I had seen videos of people doing this in South Africa and I really wanted to try it.
“I was pretty nervous at the start, especially when the platform moved away from under me, but it was amazing.
“I’ve tried bungee before but this is totally different. It was faster than I imagined, which was great and I’d do it again for sure.
“I think there are some people who maybe wouldn’t do bungee would feel more able to do this because of the full body harness.”
Anything else to know: Highland Swing has been invented by Highland Fling Bungee, Britain’s first permanent bridge bungee jumping company.
Since opening in 2011, the bungee activity at the same gorge has attracted 40,000 jumpers from all over the world.
Now a £70,000 investment has created the company’s latest invention, the Highland Swing.
The bridge swing was taken two years to create, form idea, through design and planning to opening late this summer.
The development is expected to double the size of the business within five years.
Highland Fling also operates the bungee jump at the iconic Clydebank attraction the Titan Crane.
Who can do this?: Unlike a bungee, youngsters from the age of 10 can enjoy the Highland Swing.
Those over 65 are also very welcome although they do require a GP’s letter for health reasons.
Participants must weigh less than 18.9st and have a waist size 15.7in to 49in.
Cost: £60 per swing.
Contact: Book online on www.bungeejumpscotland.co.uk or call 0345 366 5844. Highland Swing is operated from Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, Killiecrankie, Perthshire PH16 5LG.
I wrote about the Highland Swing in my Sunday Mail outdoors column.
