The Gaelic broadcaster who had to abandon his attempt to row across the Atlantic from New York to Stornoway, has raised the £8,000 required to pay the salvage company to release his boat.

Stornoway-based Niall Iain Macdonald, 40,is now considering what to do next.

He said on his Facebook page: "I have been down at the boat assessing her condition and also figuring out what to do with her. I certainly can't organise any shipment home at the moment and I need to come to a decision about NY2SY (New York to Stornoway). Now is not the time for any grand statements of intent, either way. I need to speak to all my sponsors and also see how I feel about the future myself."

He had launched his online appeal for money on Tuesday saying he was embarrassed to ask but "I am personally skint after all that has happened."

Within a few hours he had raised enough to pay the salvage company he had hired to retrieve his 24ft boat 120 miles out to sea.

He was forced to abandon the crossing on Friday, nine days out from New York  after suffering a damaged back and cut head.

US Coastguard rescued him and took him ashore leaving his  boat adrift about 50 miles from the American coast.

He was undertaking the 3,400 mile voyage to Lewis to raise money for the Scottish Association of Mental Health, having suffered a breakdown himself.