Three brothers from Edinburgh will see in the new year in the middle of the Atlantic.

Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan MacLean are halfway through a 2000-mile journey as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

They hope to reach Antigua in the Caribbean by the end of January, having set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12.

The brothers, known as Team Broar, hope to celebrate Hogmanay with a dram of whisky and bagpipe music on the ocean waves.

Jamie, 26, said: “It’s like being in an extreme water park 24/7 where you have to sleep, go to the toilet, charge your phone and make your meals and you’re not allowed out this extreme flume."

The Maclean brothers faced a small emergency early in their adventure when a fault meant they temporarily couldn’t convert sea water into fresh water, forcing them to use all their rations.

“One of the biggest challenges has definitely been the sleep deprivation,” said eldest brother Ewan. “We’re probably getting about four hours of sleep during the night and the rest of the time we are doing really quick shifts.

"We’re working on very little sleep and then rowing for about 16 or 17 hours a day.”

The siblings trained on Loch Lomond ahead of the race, but the open ocean is proving to be a different beast.

“We’ve had up to 20 or 30 foot waves,” said youngest Lachlan. “We’re used to rowing and then a hill or a glen appears, but here, there’s just nothing.”

The team hope to raise more than £250,000 for charities Feedback Madagascar and Children First and become the fastest trio in history to row the Atlantic.

Children First is Scotland's national children's charity, while Feedback Madagascar works with some of the poorest communities in Madagascar to improve their lives and their environment.

Jamie Spencer, managing director of Feedback Madagascar, said: "What the boys are undertaking to ensure clean water for over 6000 people in rural Madagascar is unbelievable.

"When we're all enjoying ourselves, these three brave lads are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean rowing day and night.

"The very least they deserve is a tipple to bring in the new year while they take a short break!"

There won’t be any fireworks when the clock strike midnight in the Atlantic, but the brothers will do their best to celebrate the start of a new decade.

“We’ll have a wee dram on board and Jamie will be playing the bagpipes – that’s if he can muster up the strength,” said Ewan.