Canoe Expedition Across Scotland

Included

• Guides
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Specialist equipment (canoe, tent)
• Pick up from Fort William train station at the start of the trip

Excluded

• Appropriate clothing
• Sleeping bags

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. The canoeing is up to 6 hours of paddling each day, with plenty of breaks along the way. 

To get around the many lock gates on the canal the whole team have to move the canoes and carry all the equiment. This is hard work but all part of the experience.

Water
Whilst doing adventurous activities, it's important to carry enough water and stay hydrated. We strongly recommend taking between two and three litres of water. Your guide can give you advice on where to get water each day. This is often likely to be from a fresh stream, so please bring purification tablets if you feel it necessary.

Food
The guides work hard to use great quality, local produce where possible to prepare fantastic meals for you. Here are some examples of what you can expect:

Breakfast: porridge, bacon, pancakes, bagels, fresh tea or coffee.

Lunch: Normally a buffet-style feast with fresh bread, wraps, oatcakes, cold meats and cheese.

Dinner: A freshly made, warm meal every evening. Risottos, spaghetti bolognese, haggis neeps and tatties followed by homemade cake!

Snacks: There will be plenty of snacks available every day to make sure you have all the energy you need!

Food on your trip is included as follows:

Day 1: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 - 4: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Breakfast

If you have any food restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerance etc) please make us aware of this when completing your registration form, found on your Skyhook dashboard. The guides can cater for most people. 

The guides and clients use tandem canoes so you will share a canoe with one other person.

The guides on this trip believe that to give you a quality experience, you need to be comfortable. They work with a number of companies to ensure that the equipment available on the trips are not only fit for purpose but also the best quality.

You’ll be provided with:

• Tents (shared)
• Dry bags/Barrels
• All Safety equipment**

You’ll need to bring:

• Sleeping bag* (3 season is best)
• Lunch box (to keep food through the day)
• Sleep mat*
• Waterproofs* (Jacket and Trousers)
• Outdoor clothing for wearing when you're on the water 
• Spare clothing for wearing in camp or if you have an out of boat experience
• Shoes for when paddling
• Shoes for camp
• Toiletries
• Torch
• Midge net and spray
• Sun protection
• Personal medication
• Camera

*Most people bring these items themselves however if you require them please just let us know when completing your form on the Skyhook dashboard. 

** If you have your own safety equipment then that’s great. To use on any of the guides trips, the equipment must be CE marked, (ENISO12402) under 5 years old and be fit for use.

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.

The maximum group size is 8

There will be times that you'll pass by shops. On the third night, you'll camp next to the highland town of Fort Augustus where there will be shopping opportunities.

There will be 4 nights of wild camping. This means there are no toilets. Our guides will explain how to go to the toilet properly when in the wild so that we leave no trace. There are proper toilets though, along the canal, at every set of lock gates.

Yes! Most people are solo travellers. 

No - you'll take most of your luggage into the boat with you. Empty suitcases and any clothes you don't need can be left in the vehicle.

Start: Your guides will meet you at Neptune's Staircase in Banavie just outside Fort William at 11am. We can collect you from Fort William train station if you are arriving by train or staying in town the night before.

End: Your guide will arrange a taxi to drop you off at Inverness Train Station or back at Fort William by 4 pm on day 5 of your itinerary.
We make sure everyone gets to where they want to be. The trip itinerary occassionally has to change slightly if the winds are very high so we can never say for sure that it will end at a certain location. We aim for the north end of Loch Ness but it can't be 100% guaranteed - thats part of the adventure.

You do not need to be able to swim on this trip as you will be wearing a buoyancy aid (life jacket) whilst on the water.

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.

The weather in Scotland can be extremely unpredictable at all times of the year and the weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to always be prepared for such a change. Canoeing is very affected by the wind and your guides may have to change the itinerary slightly if the high winds would make paddling unsafe. There are lots of lovely walks we can do for a half day or a day if paddling is not possible.

Mid seasons (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.

We recommend a minumum age of 16.

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. High winds might mean we can't paddle for a half day or maybe even a whole day.

Examples of alternative activities 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 some of the many trails around the Great Glen

As it stands, people are unable to share our transport due to social distancing regulations. You will be required to make your own way to Neptune’s Staircase for the start of our trip. If you have booked accommodation in Inverness then there are several ways that you can make this journey to the start of the trip:

• Car: you can follow your satnav to the following address – Neptune’s Staircase, Banavie, Fort William, PH33 7NG. There is free car parking available here
• Bus: There are buses available from both Fort William and Inverness. However, this is a much slower option. Full details can be found on the Scotland Citylink Bus website.
• Taxi: Taxis are available from Fort William Train Station and cost around £10 to your start location. Taxi back from the end location costs in the region of £130 - £150 and can be shared with the others in the group. If you decide on this option, then please let the guide know, who can book this for you.
• Train: You can get a train to Fort William, and then a taxi to your start location at Neptune’s Staircase.

Hopefully, the restrictions will ease before your trip. If this is the case, then the guide(s) can still help with transfers.