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 20km per day. This involves about 6 hours on the water per day. You can expect plenty of rest stops along the way. If you do events like park run, tough mudder, or if you swim, cycle, or hill walk, you'll find this at your level. The trip, depending on the weather, will challenge you at times, both physically and mentally. But, our Guides are always on hand to help you. At the lock gates the group will have to carry canoes around the gates. This requires some effort but the group will work together to do this. We provide trolleys to manoeuvre the canoes, and your drybag has rucksack straps. Most people have little to no canoe experience, and that's ok. You'll spend time learning the basic skills from your expert guide.

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. Although unlikely, it is possible that your canoe could capsize. So, you need to be happy spending some time in the water while the guide empties your canoe.

Your guides believe that to have a quality experience, you need to be comfortable. They work with several companies to ensure that the equipment available on the trips is not only fit for purpose but also of the highest quality. We'll provide you with: - Tents (We won't make you share with strangers. If you booked as a group, you may need to share, but we can usually accommodate needs). - Self-inflating 5cm sleeping mats. - Large dry bags - All safety equipment** You’ll need to bring: - Sleeping bag (3 season is best) - Waterproofs (jacket AND trousers) - Outdoor clothing for wearing while on the water x2 sets. Synthetic walking, cycling, or running clothing is best, with a thin fleece. Avoid heavy cotton. - Sun hat and warm hat. - Warm jacket/fleece for camp. - Shoes for on the water (these will get wet). Old trainers paired with neoprene socks is the best combination to help keep your feet warm. Wetsuit boots are often too soft for the times we portage(carry) the canoes. You need to be dress to be prepared in getting your feet and lower legs wet for landing/launching. - Shoes for camp. - Toiletries. - Torch. -Power Bank. - Midge head net (those made by Smidge work well) and spray. - Sun protection. - Personal medication. - Camera. - Water bottle - cycling style gloves to reduce blisters. Overall, keep your kit pretty basic. Most people don't change clothes through the trip unless they get wet. It's worth investing in quality waterproofs. If it's a wet week, a spare cheap Pac A Mac works well as a 2nd waterproof. ** If you have your own safety equipment, that’s great. To use it on any of the guided trips, the equipment must be CE marked, (EN ISO 12402) under 5 years old, and be fit for use.

Yes absolutely! It's a great way to meet like-minded people. Around a third of our guests are solo travellers. If you're nervous about going solo, drop us a message for a chat. You'll either be in a canoe with another solo traveller, or with one of the guides. We work hard to foster a team approach to meal prep and tea breaks, and helping out with us is a great way to chat and get involved. If you book solo, you will have your own tent.

We recommend a minimum age of 18 years, or 14 years if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Anyone under the age of 18 must share a canoe with their parent or guardian.

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

You will be best flying into Glasgow and getting the train to Fort William. If you were to fly into Inverness, you would have to get the train to Inverness centre and then catch a bus (1.5 hrs) to Fort William. On the way home, Inverness is the better option

It’s highly recommended that you take out personal travel insurance. Travel cover protects you in the case of unforeseen circumstances, including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip. We've had guests in the past who were unfortunately unable to attend due to cancelled trains, vehicle breakdowns, illness, and emergencies at home, to name a few. It's best to be covered for these types of situations. The Post Office offer offers a UK destination travel insurance.

Not at all! If you book solo, you won't have to share a tent. If you book with someone else, and you would like your own tent, we can usually accomodate this too.

New for 2025: We'll provide a pub meal on the last night, subject to the pub being open (drinks not included). Day 1: Lunch and dinner Day 2: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Day 3: Breakfast and dinner Day 4: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Day 5: Breakfast and lunch On day 3, you'll have some time to explore Fort Augustus. During this time, you can buy your own lunch in a cafe or pub, or buy fish and chips. On Day 5, there'll be some lunch available, and the trip finishes at a cafe where you can buy your own refreshments. The guides also provide snacks that are high in energy throughout. Typical food items include: Breakfast: Porridge, bacon or sausage sandwich, tea, coffee or juice. Lunch: Sandwiches or soup - lots of different fillings available. Plus, fruit and snacks. Dinner: BBQ, stir fry, spaghetti bolognese, lemon chicken, risotto. On some trips, there'll be the opportunity to eat in a pub. If you want to do this, it will be at your own expense.

You'll paddle around 20km per day. This involves paddling at a moderate pace for up to 6 hours daily. Not to worry, there'll be plenty of breaks along the way. The total paddling distance is 100km.

There will be a maximum of 12 people, with 2 people sharing a canoe. We provide 2 guides on trips with more than 8 people. This gives the lowest guide-to-client ratios to enhance your safety and enjoyment.

There will be 4 nights of wild camping with no facilities. Depending on availability, you may have the opportunity to grab a shower on 2 of the days. As we pass the lock gates, and in Fort Augustus, there are toilets and showers.

There are several designated "wild camping" locations along the way. At the lochs, there are toilet and shower facilities. We usually wild camp in forests and beaches. There are no facilities, but we bring a collapsible toilet. We really take you to the wild! Our campsites are stunning!

The canoes are 'Prospectors. ' They're all made in the UK and can have 2 people in each one. We don't have a set weight limit and have taken people who weigh up to 120kg. Very tall or large people may be uncomfortable in the boats. If you're concerned, we suggest booking a canoe lesson or visiting an outdoor shop that stocks this type of canoe (Prospector) to try it out.

The guides supply dry bags and barrels to keep everything nice and dry! Each person will have one large 60-litre drybag for their own personal use. This can easily fit in your tent, sleeping bag and personal possessions.

Start: You'll meet your guide at 10:00 AM in Banavie at Neptunes Staircase in the car park. On the way in you will cross the canal and turn right on to the A8004. The car park is on your right. End: At the end of the trip the guides will transport you back to Fort William, or drop you off in Inverness city centre.

Car: Follow your satnav to the following address – Neptune’s Staircase, Banavie, Fort William, PH33 7NG. There is free car parking available at this point. 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. Train: You can get a train to Fort William and then a taxi to your start location at Neptune’s Staircase. At the end of the trip, we will transport you back to the start location or to Inverness Train Station.

There'll be times when you pass by the shops, so bring some money if you want to buy anything. You'll need money for lunch on Day 3, when you camp next to the highland town of Fort Augustus, where there are a few small shops.

We usually finish the trip around 1:00 PM, depending on the weather. After we have loaded up, we will transport you back to Fort William. We can either drop you off at Neptunes Staircase, local hotels, or the train station. If you wish to catch public transport from Inverness (this has a better train network than Fort William), we can drop you off at the rail station. There is a new line to be airport. If you want to do this, we suggest not departing before 6:00 PM.

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. 

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on this trip.

Yes, you can leave any stuff you don't need in the guide's shuttle bus, at your own risk. Note that these items won't be available while you're on your trip - just at the beginning and the end.

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 can be quite unpredictable, and weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to always be prepared for any changes. This is Scotland, don't forget!!

Midge season in Scotland is the summer months (April to September). The worst months for midges are usually July and August, although this differs each year depending on the conditions. The midges don't bother you too much when we're canoeing (which is all day) but can be bothersome at camp if the wind is low. It's nothing worth stressing too much over. Even in the peak of the midge season, we generally find that everyone has a great time. We pick campsites that have more breeze to keep them away, and usually, if possible have a fire too!

We provide this adventure in open canoes. We choose them as these are the best option to carry our kit (including group kit), as it is a completely self sufficient trip. Because of this, we don't allow people to bring their own kayaks, inflatable kayaks, or sit-on-top kayaks on the trip. The use of canoes also is safer in rough weather where we can provide more options to keep you safe. We provide the best group canoes on the market, the only company to do so- Ace Prospectors XL. These are stable, predictable, and great paddled tandem. We, therefore, only allow our own canoes on the adventure. As you will be paddling tandem, we also prefer to use our canoes to prevent any damage to your own.

The Moorings Hotel is near the start. The Ben Nevis Hotel is popular too. The pricing really does vary vastly week to week, depending on what else is on. Have a look on Booking.com

If you're driving, follow your satnav to the following address – Neptune’s Staircase, Banavie, Fort William, PH33 7NG. There is free car parking available at this point. Parking is at your own risk.

Amongst our team are some of the most qualified and experienced canoe guides in the industry. We have experience in canoeing on the a Great Glen in variety of conditions and have the experience to lead you in advanced conditions and keep you safe. We have a great success rate of completing the trip, make great food and create a fun, friendly and supportive environment.