Canoe Across Scotland

You don't need any paddling experience to enjoy this adventure - the guides are great at making it enjoyable for all abilities.

You'll need a moderate level of fitness, as you'll paddle around 15-20km per day, which will involve about 6 hours on the water per day. You can expect plenty of rest stops along the way. 

Most people have little to no canoe experience, and that's ok. You'll spend time learning the basic skills from your expert guide.  

Start: There are 2 options on day 1 of the itinerary:

08:30 at Insh Marches in Inverness. You can see this on the map here. From here, you'll use public transport to make your way to Inverness.

10:30 at Banavie Locks Car Park in Fort William. Also the official start of your canoe journey. You can see this on the map here.

End: Your trip will end in Inverness at 2 pm.
   

Day 1: Lunch, Dinner.

Day 2 - 4: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. 

Day 5: Breakfast and Lunch.

Sometimes the weather can deem an activity unfeasible for a set period of time. If this is the case, then your guide will offer an appropriate alternative. Examples are as follows:

- The itinerary in reverse. The trip is much more enjoyable when you are not battling against the wind. 

- Canoe a different section of water.

- Hike the Great Glen trails.   

There are several designated "Wild Camping" locations along the way where you'll camp.

The total distance is 100km.

Each day you will paddle for up to 6 hours at a moderate pace, with plenty of breaks along the way. 

Included

• Highly experienced & qualified guide
• On-course transport
• Canoes, paddles & buoyancy aids
• Waterproof storage, 60ltr barrels per person
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinners
• Camping stoves, tea, coffee
• Inflatable camping mats
• Tents 2 or 3 person
• Safety equipment
• Photos from your adventure 

Excluded

• Sleeping bag
• Personal spending money for drinks and snacks
• Appropriate clothing 

There will be a maximum of 8 clients, with 2 people sharing a canoe. 

There will be times that you'll pass by the shops. On the third night, you'll camp next to the highland town of Fort Augustus where there will be shopping opportunities. How much money you take, depends on your spending habits.  

You don't need to be able to swim as you will have a life jacket (buoyancy aid/ personal floatation device) on, but some level of water confidence is essential.

Whilst unlikely, it is possible that your canoe could capsize, so you need to be happy spending sometime in the water, whilst your guide empties your canoe. 

Yes absolutely! It's a great way to meet like-minded people.  

We recommend a minimum age of 18, or 11 if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Anyone under the age of 18, must be sharing a canoe with their parent or guardian. 

• Waterproofs, top and bottoms
• Walking trousers (synthetic materials; jeans or similar are not suitable)
• Spare shoes to get wet plus dry shoes for camp
• Quality, breathable waterproof jacket and trousers. We recommend Gore-tex or similar
• Spare insulating layer
• Hat & gloves
• Warm socks
• Sleeping bag, 3 season
• Spare full set of clothes x 2
• Some large zip-lock bags to keep your clothes and equipment organised 
• Head torch, plus spare batteries
• Water bottle or flask
• Foldable camping chair (optional)
• Sunglasses and sun cream (you just never know!) Personal medications 

You'll either be in a 2 or 3 person tent, and share with 1 other. 

The guides supply dry bags and barrels to keep everything nice and dry! Each person will have one large 60-litre barrel for their own personal use.  

Absolutely - try and give the guide as much notice as possible of any dietary requirements. You can do this when completing your participation form after booking.  

Winter season (Nov – Mar)

Winter in Scotland can be extremely cold. In Scotland, temperatures can go as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

Shoulder (Apr– May & Oct)

Temperatures in Scotland can vary at this time of year. Lows of 2 degrees Celsius and highs of 15 degrees Celsius. There can be some chances of rain, with May turning very green.

High Season (Jun – Sep)

June to Sept can be warm, with daytime temperatures ranging from 10 – 25 degrees Celsius. There can be some rain.

The weather in the mountains can be quite unpredictable and weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to always be prepared for such a change.