A CREW of young carers from the Wee County recently took to the seas for a five day voyage on the Alba Explorer.

The teenagers took a break from their responsibilities to explore the West Coast and hone their survival skills on the mammoth trip.

With the help of Ocean Youth Trust Scotland they learned all the aspects of sailing from navigating, sail hoisting and rope work to mooring and galley duties.

And Jayne Lennox, of Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Young Carers Project, said it was important for the youngsters to be pushed out of their comfort zone.

She told the Advertiser: "It's just to be able to let them experience the whole sailing environment and give them time away from their caring role, to meet people and help them develop their own confidence and self esteem. It's also to challenge them and give them a better outlook."

All of the young people involved in the trip have significant responsibilities at home, often providing emotional support to family members with an illness or disability.

And this can have an impact on the opportunities they have to take on fresh challenges and meet new people.

At the end of the adventure, the participants all qualified for Level 1 'Start Yachting', which allows them to consider taking further sailing lessons.

Ms Lennox said the escapade gave the sailors the chance to do something they might not other wise get to do.

She added: "The young people said they felt really positive and in control when they were steering the boat. Some of the scenery on the West Coast was spectacular. They got to see places they had only maybe heard of.

"There was a warship that passed by them as well. All of these things they never got to experience before. Many had never even been on a boat."

However, being on a vessel for that length of time wasn't without its own difficulties, and Ms Lennox is confident the hard times were part of the process of shaping their character as well.

"They were away from their home comforts and had no WiFi or access to social media," she said. "There wasn't any space to go off and do your own thing. It's hard work. It was challenging but they said it was worth it.

"As a worker I just feel that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We can only take 10 young people on each voyage, so they really might never get the opportunity to do it again.

"I think it will give them more life skills and will prove to them that they can do things that are scary. By the end of it they realised that if you put in effort then you will get rewarded."