Activity Holidays
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Activity Holidays Kincraig Kingussie Inverness-shire PH21 1NU 01540 651 272 [email protected] From Easter to October holidays we have loads 1 of activities happening daily on & off the water. Well equipped with the high quality 5mm wetsuits & boots there’s nothing to stop you jumping in to the fun. Water temperature rises quickly following spells of warm weather & by the end of May you might even swim in swimsuits. Our Summer holidays have lots of activities happening daily with kids activity weeks for all ages. RYA courses in Sailing & Windsurfing are also offered & Since1969 our paddle sports tackling the fun parts of the Spey. Over fifty years ago Loch Insh began with a wooden hut on the beach renting canoes and kayaks. Summer Over the following years Clive and Sally Freshwater with a little help from some amazing staff built the facility you see today. Their sons Duncan, Andrew and Jonny developed an aptitude for coaching, learning along side great instructors who have helped us over the years, together the family continue to drive the business forwards for the next generations. Now in our 51st year we continue to tweak our well tried and tested formula coaching our team to deliver on 2 our mission to inspire, nurture, and master. Our sit on top kayaks are perfect to jump in and have a go whenever you like. Super stable 3 with minimal risk of capsizing, there’s no excuse not to give it a go. Taster sessions are delivered in these easy to control boats off the exposed loch in our sheltered lagoon. You will learn the basics until competent to go for a short trip around the island and explore the loch and wildlife from this rewarding craft. Then a quick balancing game to push the boundaries of your boat and inevitably get wet just before you come Canoeing in, great fun for all ages. Canoes are incredibly accessible, two, three and four seat options mean anyone can give it a go. Kayaking Canoeing tests communication, coordination and team work. After a two hour session most crews will be comfortably proficient to steer the canoe safely anywhere on the loch. Head North East and explore the islands area downstream, keep an eye out for the Osprey Nest! Or find the canal to the South West and head upstream & explore the heart of the Insh Marshes. Entry level Kingussie to Loch Insh river trips run daily 4 more advanced sections can be tackled with a guide. If you are up for a greater challenge why not join us in navigating the best parts of the river Spey over five 5 action packed days from Kingussie all the way to Spey Bay some 74 miles downstream Included in this trip is the opportunity to get back to nature with a full camping experience, stopping at a few special hidden gems and a visit to a local destilary along the route. On the final night we’ll take you to the excellent Craigellachie Hotel to experience the best in local folk music with a huge range of local whisky to try, made from the water you have been paddling in all week. River Trips The perfect relaxing day out, the Kingussie trip is suitable for anyone who can already paddle a canoe. This is a flat Spey Descent section of meandering river for ambleing down at your leisure. Novices we recommend at least a one hour lesson before you tackle this on your own or join one of our guided trips and benefit from expert instruction all day. River trips available daily. Departing at 10:00, 11:00, or 12:00 The trip takes around three hours on the river, although you can take all day if you wish, just return before 5pm. Note: Weather on the day may cause us to cancel or 6 postpone trips in extreme circumstances. When it blows Loch Insh is blessed with a clean wind whistling down the valley creating one of the best 7 locations in the country to learn to windsurf. A group lesson gives you the best start allowing plenty of time to get to grips with the basics. Our fleet of top equipment help you advance through the levels as quickly as possible. More advanced courses run throughout the year from water-starting to freestyle & racing. Our coaches have huge experience & are eager to share it. Islay Watson one of our home grown instructors won Paddle Boarding girls RSX Youth world championship in Austin, USA. Stand up paddle boarding or S.U.P. is one of the easiest things we do. Our extensive range of inflatable Windsurfing boards are perfect for learning & exploring the loch or river. Learn the correct techniques that deliver a relaxed core workout like no other. Our Jumbo Paddle Boards are perfect for groups & families. We can fit 4 adults or 6 kids on each board and set up competitive races between the teams ensuing lots of laughs and a few dips in the Loch along the way. For the ultimate Stand Up Paddle experience come and 8 join us at 7:30am for our SUP Sunrise Tour. A truly epic way to start the day, relaxed and invigorated. Whether you’re looking for the thrills of the Catamarans, or the challenge of mastering the 9 single handers, there is all sorts at Loch Insh. There is a lot to learn in a sailing boat, so before you can take one out yourself you are required to attended a two day level one course to learn the basics. Weather permitting, students are taught in single handers, giving everyone hands on the tiller for speed in learning. When it’s windier we will use larger boats all together with the instructor. Two more days brings you up to RYA level 2 is recognised internationally as a certificate of competence for hiring Sailing boats anywhere in the world. Sailing offers a wide range of possibilities, from relaxed family cruisers, to more challenging dinghies and Courses catamarans, there really is something for everyone. Weather permitting, we will encourage you to use our single handers so everyone has a boat to themselves. For more cautious students, our keel boats offer a stable platform for a more gentle introduction to magical world of water based wind power. Group lessons are great value. Share your learning experience and have a blast doing so. Instructors have the flexibility to use all the boats at our disposal to pitch the lesson at appropriate level for everyone. Private lessons are also available just give us a call. Our wildlife guide will take you on a tour around the loch and explain all the species we enjoy and 11 their breeding patterns. The tour changes throughout the year with different seasons making it an enjoyable visit every time you stop in. Loch Insh has become a firm favourite for our returning Osprey. They have successfully bred here for the last 20 years. The tour boat offers a great view to get some shots & sometimes we are treated to spectacular osprey versus prey Pond Dipping battles that can take up to an hour, Breathtaking. Beneath the surface of the water, there’s an unseen Wildlife Tour world of amazing wildlife ready to be discovered. Pond dipping is something we can all do and it’s loads of fun! There are all sorts of interesting creatures living in our ponds What’s lurking in the depths of our ponds? Maybe a mysterious alien-like dragonfly nymph, or a great diving beetle perhaps. Did you know Dragonflies have been around on earth for around 300 million years, some of the early species may have been the size of seagulls! 12 Loch Insh nestles in the foothills of Glenfeshie, surrounded by Inshriach wood. 13 A mile up the glen is Uath Lochans, a breathtaking, unspoilt beauty spot to really get back to nature. There is no more accessible place to witness the raw beauty & stillness the Cairngorms National Park has to offer. Take a guide with you to discover all the wonders of the Highland woodland, including looking out for signs of Wildcats, Red Squirrel, Pine-martin, Badgers and the elusive Capercaillie. We can also tailor sessions for bush-craft including shelter Mountain Biking building, safe fire lighting as well as basic survival skills. We have thirty Diamondback bikes for all ages and sizes. Nature Walks Our staff will help you plan your ride plus trail maps and the local OS map available to purchase from our on site gift shop. Our Mountain bike guides know exactly were to go to give you the best biking experience pitched at your level. Sign up to one of our guided rides and learn some new tricks to optimise your riding, then push yourself down some hidden routes through our local nature reserve. Bikes can be hired overnight giving you the opportunity 14 for awesome early morning rides. The best way to see some of the local wildlife such as deer. Team building is about building respect, communication, and accepting leadership 15 or indeed stepping up to lead. Our mix of activities stretch then consolidate groups to help one another achieve the goal. The session is a mix of active challenges & slower, thinking games, creating a diverse environment where everyone can get an opportunity to shine on the tasks they feel most confident with. We can tailor the challenges to your team requirements Raft Building whether primary kids, teenagers or adult groups. Join in one of our group sessions and play with other kids, Team Building design, build & try out your raft before taking a trip out on the loch, and finally challenge your friends to a race.