The North - Easter Ross A836 32 B9176 L. Morie Loch Glascarnoch A835 Loch Glass N Boath 33 A9 Garbat Alness Ben Wyvis Cromarty Firth 37 A832 Loch Luichart 34 approx. scale 1cm = 5km = 1cm scale approx. Grudie L. Garve A835 A834 35 Dingwall 36 A835 Dalnacreich A9 A832 to Inverness Easter Ross 032 Wester Fearn Burn . 64 033 Averon of Alness . 65 034 Blackwater . 66 035 Conon . 68 036 Meig . 74 037 Grudie . 75 64 The North - Easter Ross Easter Ross All but one of the rivers featured in this section are heavily affected by hydro schemes and their associated dams. That said, there is some fantastic paddling to be had when the rivers are running high, or there is the occasional elusive release by the hydro companies. Best keep your ear to the ground to track these down. When it rains the Blackwater is probably the most popu- lar run in the area as it comes into condition fairly regularly. Its nearby neighbour, the Grudie, is less well known but contains a short, classy section. Solid intermediate paddlers will get a lot from the journey down the Averon of Alness. If the rivers are really low then perhaps it will still be possible to scrape down the Lower Meig, you’ll be surprised at how much fun you’ll have. 032 Wester Fearn Burn Grade 4 Introduction Just west of Tain by the Dornoch Firth, the hike and Length 1km hurl of the Wester Fearn Burn gives an hour’s high entertainment. OS sheet 21 The run is a low volume steep ditch consisting of 4 or 5 notable drops, and is well worth the walk. Water level Very wet. Gauge The burn should be running brown with enough water to float a boat under the A836 road bridge. Access Driving north of Tain on the A9(T), follow signs for Bonar Bridge and the Dornoch Firth Bridge roundabout. After about 8 miles, you will cross the burn. Drive another 100 yards to a pull off on the left-hand side. Park up here and walk back along the main road to the bridge. To get to the put-in, hike your boat through the private driveway at the bridge, to a path that leads up on river right through the forest. After 10 minutes or so the glen opens up and this wee ditch levels off. Put in here. Description With little or no warm up, you’re skeltering down a lead-in channel of 15m to a sharp right hander and off the lip of the first drop into a large pool. The river then drops into a small canyon with a couple of steep angled ramps. After this the river widens before the last shallow angled, narrow drop. This is the The North - Easter Ross 65 least impressive with the highest spankability – watch out for the undercut on the left-hand wall. The entire run can easily be inspected on the walk in – worthwhile as I’ve only done it once and have only vague recollections! Other important points Access to the path is unknown but Contributor: definitely gives the feel of walking through someone’s garden. Colin Aitken Parking is also dubious as it is a fish farm’s road access. Use the utmost discretion. It may also be worth checking out the Easter Fearn down the road. Averon of Alness / Abhainn Abharan 033 Introduction The river flows from Loch Morie in Easter Ross Grade 3/4+ through Alness to enter the sea on the north side of the Cromarty Length 10km Firth. The watercourse follows a well-wooded glen that provides OS sheet 25 protection from even the wildest of winds. The upper part of the run consists of an endless series of boulder weirs that have been added to enhance the fishing. In its lower section, below New- bridge on the old A9, the river becomes rockier in character and flows through a deeply incised valley. Water Level Wet/Very wet. Rarely navigable in summer, this river requires a couple of days of good rainfall to get it going. Gauge There is a gauge on the downstream side of the road- bridge in Alness. 1½ feet is the absolute minimum for the section below Newbridge, 2 feet for the whole river. 4 feet gives a very stimulating paddle. Access From Alness, cross the B817. Follow a single-track road up the south-west side of the river, signposted Boath, to a car park, gate and private road sign. Park the car and carry your boat down the road for 5 minutes to reach the river. Put in opposite another flood gauge (568 747). Take out at the Averon Centre in Alness, on the north bank of river, just upstream of the bridge. The Averon Centre will allow use of its showers and changing facilities for a small fee. Description The river is changed every summer by the fish people who build new weirs and change others, so you never know 66 The North - Easter Ross what you will encounter. Over the years they have also added a variety of hazards to paddlers, the current ones being two steel footbridges close to river level between Ardross Castle and Newbridge. These are dangerous in mid-flow but you can paddle over them at very high flows (above 4ft). When in spate, the river develops a number of strong stoppers, most of which can be seen from a distance and outflanked. There are plenty of fun play- spots, but perhaps no real classics. There is one rapid significantly larger then the others, which may warrant inspection. It is about ½km downstream of the castle, and comes up very quickly when the river is high. The river turns left, then right, before a big white Contributor: rock in the river marks the approach of the rapid. Take out on river Ron Cameron left. Those wanting a shorter paddle can put in at Newbridge on the B817 (642 715). There is only limited roadside parking. From here it is 2km to Alness, perhaps 40 minutes paddling time. Other important points The flood gauges on the Averon tend to give very consistent readings, probably only varying by a maximum of 6 inches between the top and bottom gauge at any time. They are graded in feet and tenths of feet, (creeping metrication!) 034 Blackwater (Upper) Grade 3/4 Introduction The Blackwater drains away from Ben Wyvis, Length 5km south-eastwards through Garve and Contin. The river changes OS sheet 20 character along its length from a steep, rocky, mountain stream to a more mature pool-drop river. The upper section is a continuous bouldery run that needs a lot of water. Water Level Very wet. Gauge The run can be inspected from the road, making it easy to gauge the flow. 0.5 on the SEPA gauge should be considered a minimum level. Access Driving north from Dingwall, take the A835 towards Ull- apool, and put on after about 6 miles where the gradient flattens. To find a good take-out, head back south along the main road. Description The run consists of narrow, twisting, continuous grade 3/4 water with plenty of micro-eddies to catch. There is The North - Easter Ross 67 one notable drop, a little less than 2m, recognisable as a distinct Contributor: horizon line and best inspected on river left. Andy Jackson Other important points This is not a good place for a large or inexperienced group. Blackwater 034 Introduction The most commonly paddled stretch (described here) Grade 4(5) is the middle section from below Silver Bridge. A picturesque run, Length 2km it may be worth running for the first time at more moderate flows. OS sheet 20 Water Level Medium wet. The main section starting from the picnic area 3 miles north of Garve can be run at modest flows, when it offers tight and technical paddling. When the river is pumping, this section is a much more serious proposition, and should be treated with care. Perhaps the upper river would be a better option? Gauge Check the level at the Silver Bridge picnic site, where the A835 crosses the river. The rapid immediately above the bridge is generally portaged but you should get a good idea of the flow from here. If no rocks are showing, or just the tops are visible, then this run is a peach. If you are unsure of the level, it is possible to walk the length of the run using the footpath on river right. 0.35 on the SEPA gauge should be considered a minimum level. Access To reach the put-in at Silver Bridge, follow the A835 north from Garve for a few miles. To find the take-out, go back down the main road towards Garve and turn off left to a very picturesque old bridge and picnic area. Description This section contains the best bedrock drops the river has to offer and can provide everything from enjoyment to unmitigated fear, depending on the amount of water and your personal fright factor. The rapid immediately above the road- bridge is generally considered nasty, with plenty of potential for a pin or entrapment. You may choose to put in below it! The half dozen rapids on the short section down to the picnic site all run at grade 4, unless the river is particularly high. This section is pool- drop all the way, but some of the falls may form nasty stoppers 68 The North - Easter Ross Contributor: when the river is in spate.