Scott Mitchell is well known on social media as The Scottish Surfer. He told The Courier why Kirkcaldy is a great base for surf lovers.
Former soldier Scott Mitchell, 42, or Mitch as he is better known, thought his surfing days were over when he was posted to Kirkcaldy in 2019.
He fell in love with catching waves when he took part in an adventure training course in Cornwall just after his second tour of Afghanistan in 2013.
“We surfed on the last day and I was hooked, it really got me big and took over my life, everything became about surfing,” says Mitch.
“At that time I was based in North Yorkshire which has a huge surf demographic, I didn’t even know you could surf in Scotland.”
Can you really surf in Kirkcaldy?
Mitch jokingly refers to Kirkcaldy as Calicaldy in a nod to the Californian surf scene. He says he was as surprised as anyone when he discovered great waves in his new home.
“I was taking the long way to my office and went along the prom,” he explains. “Where I discovered beautiful, shoulder-high waves.
“I shot home and grabbed a board and wetsuit. When I got back there were two other surfers in the water who told me the place got surf a handful of times a year at best.”
The waves he caught that day led him to buy a seafront apartment in Kirkcaldy. It’s a decision he hasn’t regretted for a minute. “I have already had two surfs this week in some chunky, world-class surf,” he beams.
The dad of two grew up in Kilmarnock. He has been living with Crohn’s disease for 10 years and that led to a recent medical discharge from the army. He served for 22 years, completing two Afghan tours.
Fife’s Lang Toun is an underrated location
Mitch believes that he has found a great place to live. “Kirkcaldy has so much to offer,” he says.
“I feel it’s a very underrated spot, especially if you are a fan of the outdoors. It has something to please everyone, from coastal paths and trails to the sea itself.”
Best Kirkcaldy coffee stop?
So where does The Scottish Surfer head to warm after a session in the North Sea?
“Well, I have a beach view flat, so there’s literally no place like home. I can watch over the surf and mind-surf waves for days.”
If he needs a winter warmer away from his flat? “There is a really cool little coffee shop on the seafront called Merchants House Cafe, which I do like.”
Best Kirkcaldy beaches?
It’s all about the beach for Mitch, when he’s out and about with family and friends the father of two says: “I am the stereotype of a surfer, my first port of call will always be at the beach, Seafield or Pathhead is where I’ll be!”
If the waves aren’t good there, he will happily jump in the car and head for nearby St Andrews or down to Pease Bay. He is also excited about the new Lost Shore Surf Resort on the other side of the Forth.
“It is the world’s first inland surf resort and Europe’s largest wave pool. In the six weeks or so it has been open my own surfing improvements have been incredible,” he enthuses.
With over 21,000 followers on his Scottish Surfer Instagram account and a successful podcast called The UK Surf Show, Mitch is no stranger to the world of social media.
Making waves on social media
What’s the secret to his success? “I don’t really think it’s the posts,” he says, modestly. “I hope it’s the honest way in which I present myself.
“I’ve never been shy about being a distinctly average surfer, or talking about my own perceived barriers to progression or even irrational fears in the water,” he points out.
“I’m not sure why but people didn’t really talk about that.”
Mitch feels that his experience of real life-threatening situations in Afghanistan means that, “I have no issue in saying a wave is above my comfort zone or if I have a fear of drowning.”
His online presence had led to opportunities such as compering the Red Bull Up the Mast competition in St Andrews last year. “I’d never done anything like that before but I know I can talk!” he laughs.
“It was a fantastic experience but I didn’t actually have a go, which I hugely regret. I can’t stand cold water,” he says, admitting that is slightly crazy for a Scottish Surfer.
