Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Canoeing and Watersports => Topic started by: stuart1 on January 01, 2011

Title: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: stuart1 on January 01, 2011
Im hoping someone here may be able to help me.I do alot of motorcycle touring around the highlands of scotland but also being into kayaks i fancy seeing the place from the water rather than the road.My wife also wants to join me so i was going to buy a tandam siton and load it up for a few days on the water.I was looking at doing the great glen but theres only 20 miles out of 60 that are canals.the rest is open lochs which doesnt interest me.Is there any other canals or friendly rivers that we could paddle/camp over a few days.

thanks in advance
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: MG1 on January 02, 2011
Have you thought of the river Spey mate?

Heres a link to a company thats guides on it.

http://www.speydescent.com/ (http://www.speydescent.com/)
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: stuart1 on January 02, 2011
never thought of there and i should of as ive been to aviemore a number of times.thank you!!
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: pablo on March 06, 2011
tandems are ok for short paddles but speaking from experience... your far better off with two singles.

make sure you practise self recovery drills too and have all the safety gear and personal flotation devices if your  ever in a kayak.
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: zeaphod on March 09, 2011
Sit on tops are harder work to paddle than conventional canoes in my experience.  More drag, although obviously easy to use.
Maybe a canadian instead if you don't fancy wrestling with spraydecks and learning to roll.  Loads of room for camping gear then too.
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: pablo on September 22, 2011
Quote from: zeaphod on March 09, 2011
Sit on tops are harder work to paddle than conventional canoes in my experience.  More drag, although obviously easy to use.
Maybe a canadian instead if you don't fancy wrestling with spraydecks and learning to roll.  Loads of room for camping gear then too.


harder to paddle than a canoe????  you must have been sitting on top of a log mate!

perhaps you mean a conventional KAYAK, and even then its still nonsense.

only a sea kayak out performs a good sit on top ,though id still prefer my prowler elite for touring.
Title: Re: kayaking in scotland help.
Post by: Damp Colin on September 22, 2011
Scotland has probably the best whitewater and flatwater rivers in the uk. If its easy flatwater kayaking your looking for try these links.


http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/our-canals/caledonian-canal

http://www.canoescotland.org/access/GreatGlenCanoeTrail.aspx

http://www.greatglencanoetrail.info/

Hope this is of use