IMOGEN Walsh has been finalising her preparations in Italy ahead of representing Great Britain at the World Rowing Championships.

The 27-year-old, from Inverness, will compete in the women’s lightweight quadruple sculls at the week-long competition.

Walsh, formerly of Inverness Rowing Club, has spent the build-up to the championships at a training camp in Varese with the rest of the women’s squad, but is now looking forward to getting under way for real later this week at Bled in Slovenia.

"The training camp has been good and not just in the rowing sense," said the former Millburn Academy pupil.

"It’s been a good chance to get to know the rest of the women’s and lightweight squad better.

"For those of us who normally work as well as train, it’s actually felt like a bit of a holiday!

"The course at Varese is beautiful, snow-capped Alps at one end rolling down to green hills all around the lake.

"It was pretty hot — in the mid-30s — but surprisingly for someone more used to the Clyde, or more recently the Thames, it wasn’t too bad.

"I’m now heading to Bled and I’m looking forward to that feeling you get when you approach the likes of Strathclyde Park or Dorney.

"You see the other competitors, you know that everyone has been training hard all year, and that you’re all here for one thing.

"Racing starts on Sunday with the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls first heat on Monday, so not long to go now."

Also heading east for the European University Rowing Championships, which takes place in Moscow from Wednesday 31st August to Friday 2nd September, will be Alan Sinclair, of Belmaduthy.

After a successful summer for the one-time Inverness Rowing Club member, including winning the quadruple sculls at Henley Royal Regatta last month, Sinclair will be competing in both single and double sculls events.