Open Canoeing View Trip Dates Canoeing the Scottish Highlands Book Now Trip Grade: Green The Scottish Highlands Canoe on silver lochs and flowing rivers, relax at charming Highland accommodation and learn new canoe skills in the company of an expert wilderness guide on this fantastic Scottish canoe adventure. Suitable for both beginners and intermediate canoeists, you will learn new skills and develop good technique while enjoying classic day trips on Scottish rivers and lochs. Whether it is your first time in a boat or you already know your J-stroke from your Pry, your guides will equip you with all you need to explore some of Scotland's most beautiful paddling locations. This is a superb way to experience the landscape. During the first half of the trip we will be based in the Cairngorms National Park; we then transfer south and spend the second half in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National park Highlights • Enjoy some of the best canoe day-trips in Scotland, returning to a cosy hotel each night • Start on flat water, and paddle up to Grade 2 on classic rivers such as the Spey • Enjoy warm hospitality and great meals in carefully chosen small hotels Book with confidence • We guarantee this trip will run as soon as 2 people have booked • Maximum of 8 places available per departure PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Planned Itinerary Day 1 | Arrive and Welcome to the Water Day 2 | The River Spey Day 3 | Loch Insh to Aviemore Day 4 | Loch Rannoch Day 5 | Loch Tay to Aberfeldy Day 6 | The River Teith Day 7 | Loch Voil and Depart Arrival Info • Your Guide will meet you at Aviemore Railway Station at the ticket office • 10.30am on Day 1 of your trip Departure Info • You will be dropped off at Stirling Railway Station • 2:00pm on the final day of your trip PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Day 1 | Arrive and Welcome to the Water On our first day we meet at the train station in Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park. Your guide will give everyone a welcome brief over a coffee before you transfer a short distance to the stunning Loch Morlich, overlooked by the magnificent Cairngorm Mountains. This is the perfect place for an introductory warm up paddle. Afterwards, transfer back to Aviemore and settle in at your accommodation for the next few nights. (L, D) Day 2 | The River Spey Today we will enjoy a journey on an easy section of the River Spey. Starting from Boat of Garten we take to the river as it meanders gently through the woods and fields of the national park - a relaxing paddle during which we can continue to work on our skills. We will journey as far as the town of Grantown on Spey where we'll then have the option of doing some coaching on a slightly faster easy rapid to learn the skills to master these enjoyable sections of water. (B, L, D) Distance: 13km/ 8 miles Day 3 | Loch Insh to Aviemore This morning a short drive takes us to beautiful Loch Insh. Here we launch onto a woody section of flat river overlooked by an impressive Osprey nest - keep your eyes peeled for the birds! We’ll first make a circuit of Loch Insh, looking out for some of the many rare bird species that live here such as goldeneye ducks. Then we return to our launch point and continue down the river, paddling all the way back to Aviemore. The river is an easy paddle but there are a couple of very small rapids that will put our steering skills to the test! We arrive back at Aviemore conveniently outside one of the best pubs in the Highlands. (B, L, D) Distance: 14km/ 8.5 miles Day 4 | Loch Rannoch This morning we depart the Cairngorms and transfer south for the second half of our trip. We’ll break up the journey with a paddle on Loch Rannoch – a quiet loch in the heart of the Highlands surrounded by hills and woods. Afterwards we continue south enjoying the great views of lochs and mountains before arriving at our accommodation in the valley of Stathyre. (B, L, D) Day 5 | Loch Tay to Aberfeldy A true classic river journey for today's outing. Starting in the stunning bay of Kenmore with views of Ben Lawers we paddle into the entrance of the River Tay and head downstream. There are several fun and bouncy rapids between here and our destination for the day - the village of Aberfeldy. On arrival we can look forward to tucking into some great cake in one of central Scotland's best cafes before heading back to Strathyre. (B, L, D) Day 6 | The River Teith Today a short transfer takes us to the town of Callander, and along the way we’ll maybe stop to have a look at the impressive Falls of Leny - but we won’t be paddling it! In Callander we set out on the River Teith and paddle to the village of Doune, where we will have a late lunch and then spend the afternoon exploring Doune Castle. (B, L, D) Day 7 | Loch Voil and Depart On our last morning we will enjoy a last paddle together with an easy journey on Loch Voil, surrounded by hills and finishing in the village of Balquhidder. Here we also find the grave of the famous Rob Roy MacGregor which we’ll visit before finishing the trip. After loading the boats one last time we transfer to the town of Stirling where the trip will finish at the train station. (B, L) Trip Grading | Green 3 | This Green graded canoeing trip is suitable for those with little or no previous canoeing experience. There is an emphasis on instruction and developing your skills while enjoying the surroundings of some superb locations. You will be instructed in the proper techniques on flat water before progressing on to moving water up to Grade 2 in difficulty. You should have a reasonable level of fitness and you can expect up to 6 hours of canoeing each day, with breaks to stretch your legs. You will also be asked to assist with carrying the boats to and from the water, working as a team. You must also be able to get in and out of the canoe unassisted. If our guides feel that you are not able to complete a scheduled activity they may ask you not to join in that day. If you have any questions about the grading, then please do give our Adventure Consultants a call to chat through your experience and suitability for this trip. It is your responsibility to ensure you are appropriately fit and capable of doing the described activities. Please refer to the grading section on our website for more details. If you are unsure we encourage you to speak to us first. Accommodation and Meals This trip is based at a two comfortable small hotels, where you can be sure of a warm Highland welcome. We will spend the first 3 nights based in the village of Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park and then 3 nights in Stathyre in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Accommodation is in a choice of double or twin rooms with ensuite bathroom. On this trip we generally eat dinner as a group however if you would like to make alternative arrangements you are free to do so. Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations. Single Rooms For solo travellers: Accommodation is based on sharing a twin room with another solo traveller of the same gender. A limited number of rooms for single occupancy are available on a first come first served basis, subject to a single supplement. Please enquire for availability. Single supplements vary across our itineraries so please refer to the ‘What’s Included - Accommodation’ tab on the trip page on our website for this trip or contact our sales team. Inclusions This trip includes the following: • 6 nights accommodation in small hotels and guest houses • All meals, as indicated in the itinerary (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) • All transport throughout the trip, starting in Aviemore and finishing in Stirling • The services of at least one experienced and knowledgeable canoe guide / driver throughout your trip. (If group is more than 4 there will be 2 guides) • All specialist open canoe equipment, including canoes and buoyancy aids. Our holidays reviewed in your words… It was one of the best holidays I've had. One minute you're “ relaxing as you're paddling along a still stretch of river. The next minute you're having some excitement as you paddle down a stretch of fast flowing water. Gordon Taylor ” All Trip Reviews Here Your Guide During this trip you will be accompanied and led by one of our professional guides. Our guides are among the most highly experienced and qualified in the country. Defined by their passion for Scotland’s wild places, they have an intimate knowledge of the natural and social history of this land which they will be delighted to share with you.