A rowing boat has completed its circumnavigation of Britain in Burnham-on-Crouch.

Roxy, owned by rowing company Rannoch Adventure, set off from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club on Sunday, 13 June to travel around Britain as part of the Lionheart Great British Row - and returned from the epic feat last week (Friday, 30 July).

Six different crews each completed a leg of the journey on the 12-man boat over six weeks. Each team alternated between six people rowing for three hours and six resting.

Maldon resident Jo Fawkes completed the fourth leg of the journey over the top of Scotland, from Mallaig to Fraserburgh, with 11 fellow rowers - including the five friends with whom she signed up to the challenge.

She said: "We left the west coast of Scotland on 11 July and we had to get to Fraserburgh on the east coast by 18 July.

"Incredibly, we had the weather for it so we actually got there a day early."

Jo and her friends - Julia Harris, Lorena Nicholls, Julie Clarke, Sam Easey and Sarah Howlett - row for various local rowing clubs, and decided to take part in the challenge to stay active over lockdown.

Jo said: "We were all suffering with Covid and we wanted something to look forward to, so we signed up to do leg four.

"It was something to work towards, something to train for and to exercise for over lockdown."

Jo, who is also an experienced sailor, added: "It was very nice to do it together - it was a lovely shared experience."

The team rowed a total distance of approximately 315 miles in the company of dolphins, seals and puffins, while enjoying incredible views of the Scottish coastline and the sun rising over the Orkney Islands.

They were even joined by a special guest for part of their journey - a minke whale.

Jo said: "We had a minke whale swimming with us for an hour, which was absolutely amazing. It was diving under the boat and it stayed with us - it got really close to us."

The journey also held a special signficance for Jo, who sailed around the British Isles with her husband and two children when they were younger.

She said: "We went all around England and Ireland, but when we got to Scotland we went through the Caledonian Canal, which cut the top bit off.

"So, for me, rowing over the top was a little bit of completion."

Jo managed to greet the members of the sixth team as they completed Roxy's circumnavigation of Britain in Burnham-on-Crouch on Friday morning - arriving at the Royal Burnham Yacht Club at around 6am.

31 crew members took part in total. Five completed the whole journey, which lasted for 41 days.

To find out more information on the adventure, you can visit Rannoch Adventure's blog using the link here.