Scott Hastings returns weekly to Wardie Bay as family and friends fundraise for mental health in wife's memory
Former Scotland rugby player swims at the bay where his wife died and will support a teammate's 60-mile Caledonian Canal swim to raise money for mental health charities
Scott Hastings, a former Scotland international rugby player, makes a weekly return to Wardie Bay in Edinburgh to swim at the spot where his wife, Jenny Hastings, died a year ago. The 60-year-old said the ritual gives him comfort and helps him preserve the legacy of Jenny’s love of outdoor swimming and exercise.
Jenny Hastings went missing from Wardie Bay in September 2024 after swimming in the Firth of Forth; her body was recovered five days later, on the couple’s wedding anniversary. She had lived with depression for around 20 years and had received a visit from a mental health practitioner on the day her condition worsened, Scott Hastings said in an interview with BBC Breakfast.
The couple met at school and were together for 45 years, Scott said, and shared a belief in the therapeutic benefits of exercise. During the COVID-19 lockdowns they led socially distanced aerobics classes for neighbours, and Jenny had also campaigned to help people improve their mental wellbeing. Scott described her as outgoing when well but said she often concentrated on other people's health rather than her own mental health.
On the day she disappeared, Scott had arranged to meet Jenny at her favourite bathing place in Wardie Bay. When he realised he could not see her and instead found her buoyancy aid tethered nearby, he alerted the coastguard. Jenny had previously experienced episodes of disappearance and despair, including an incident in March 2017 when she walked away from home and was found seeking help miles away.
Returning to the bay has become a personal ritual for Scott, who said swimming at the place where Jenny took her last swim is "very reflective and resonant" and helps him continue the shared passion for outdoor fitness that defined much of their life together. He acknowledged the ongoing difficulty of grieving but said carrying forward Jenny’s love of swimming has been healing.
Just over a year after Jenny's death, former Edinburgh Rugby teammate Iain Sinclair will attempt an unprecedented endurance challenge in her memory. Sinclair plans to swim the full 60-mile length of the Caledonian Canal, crossing from Corpach near Fort William on the west coast to Inverness on the east. He has received special permission from Scottish Canals to pass through all canal gates for the attempt.
Sinclair said the swim will require daily efforts of up to six hours in cold freshwater and man-made waterways, adding that the lochs along the route "typically don't get very warm." He expects to cover distances equivalent to marathon swims on consecutive days and said maintaining physical health and warmth will be crucial. Sinclair is 48 years old and acknowledged the difficulty of undertaking such sustained exertion at that age.
Part of the funds raised by Sinclair’s swim will be donated to a mental health charity in memory of Jenny Hastings. He is also raising money for causes linked to his own health history, including Crohn's disease and colitis, and for a heart charity following the sudden death of a close friend. Scott Hastings and a support team will accompany Sinclair on the boat for parts of the crossing; Scott said he may join Sinclair in the water for some lengths along the route.
Organisers and family members described the challenge as a way to raise awareness of mental health and celebrate Jenny Hastings's love of outdoor swimming. Friends and former teammates said she inspired many through her enthusiasm for swimming and her work to promote community wellbeing.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.