Great Glen Canoe Trail Adventure – July 2021

Day 1:

Meeting at Banavie, the group meet  Donald their guide, and all kit required for the weeks canoeing adventure is issued. You’ll learn to work as a tandem team with your paddling partner. Firstly, learning how to load and pack your kit into the canoe then secondly learn some slick paddling skills to become as efficient and effective paddling duo in your canoe. Coaching top tips and handy hints are given along the Caledonian Canal to ensure the distance required is covered in the remaining days. Setting up our wild camping site on the Northside of Loch Lochy, you’ll learn all about your tents, cooking kit, with plenty of time to put your feet up and enjoy the stunning views all around.

Day 2:

Starting on Loch Lochy after de camping we’ll introduce the skill of canoe sailing and help continue the learning and fun on the water. Portaging onto Laggan Avenue, we enjoy paddling through what is one of the most scenic and calm canal locations before taking a well-deserved stop off at Loch Oich Food Co. for some home baking and hot drinks (should we reach here before 2 pm closing. Wild campsite for the evening is only a few miles down the loch.

Day 3:

The fun and learning continue after a short paddle across the last few miles of Loch Oich. Here your guide will further your team skills and safely guide you down the River Oich, a grade one river with two grade two main rapids to navigate. Paddling this river allows you to paddle all the way to Loch Ness, saving three portages. The group is offered the opportunity to take some well-deserved time out visiting Fort Augustus for souvenirs and extra supplies. Then it’s your first wild camp on the side of Loch Ness.

Day 4:

Waking up on the bank of Loch Ness, everyone operates like a Swiss watch, everyone knows their job and the group easily launch. Enjoying the world-famous loch should be started off at a relaxed pace. We paddled the Southside of Loch Ness between Fort Augustus to Foyers in the morning. Should the weather be suitable and the group are up for land exploring, we rest the paddling arms by taking a leisurely walk up from Lower Foyers to visit the Falls of Foyers and a quick visit to the village coffee shop. In the afternoon with hopefully the help of the wind behind us, we sail the rest of the day’s distance down to Dores beach. The last evening is spent wild camping in this area reflecting on the loch with views of 20 miles back up the loch. We are also less than half a mile from Dores Inn, where the individuals or as a group we can head along the forest walk to enjoy some food & or rehydration.

Day 5:

Last day, we launch back onto Loch Ness for the last two miles. Then it’s onto Loch Dochfour for only 2 more miles. Here we line the loaded canoes down the fish shute before taking on the last seven-mile leg of the day down the River Ness (grade 1/2). Stopping halfway down the river we chill out for the last rural tea break before paddling on through the heart of the Highland Capital. We paddle down through the Ness Islands, past Eden Court Theatre, Inverness Cathedral, and Inverness Castle, before the trip finishes on the final high just outside the Waterfront Bar on Huntly Street. Here we complete our final landing and unloading.

EH supplies: 

• free signed GGCT Guidebook (posted out on booking deposit received)
• suitable canoes, paddles, buoyancy aids & helmet
• canoe sailing equipment
• large dry bags & canoe barrels
• tent, roll mat, all cooking equipment & toilet bag
• five days of canoe guiding/coaching
• food – Dinner on day 1, breakfast/lunch/dinner on days 2-4, breakfast and lunch on day 5
• Great Glen Canoe Trail/ Caledonian Canal history and stories
• copies of photos taken by your guide during the adventure

What you need to bring:

We recommend bring along;

• your own warm paddling clothing
• good waterproof trousers & jacket
• suitable footwear for paddling and camp
• hat, cap & gloves
• spare clothing & sleeping bag
• personal toiletries, midgy spray & suntan lotion
• buff/facemask for visiting local shops etc
• individual snacks and treats for between meals
• food – lunch for day 1
• additional spending money – For any souvenirs, additional tea/coffee/treats on the route, and if you’d prefer to have a meal/drink out in Fort Augustus (day 3) and/or at Dores Inn (day 4).

Personal Belongings: Camera’s, phones, car keys, and other personal belongings are taken out on the Canoe Trail at your own risk.

Group Size: Min 3/Max 8

Craft: Tandem open canoes will be used. People who book in pairs can paddle together. Individuals will be paired up. Should there be an odd number in the group, the guide will paddle with a different client per day.

Distance: approx. 12-15 miles per day.

Duration: Five days paddling/four nights wild camping by the lochside

Meeting Time: midday of Day 1

Meet Location: Canoe Trail Start pontoon, top of Neptune Staircase, Banavie, Fort William. There is a free car parking 400m from the Canoe Trail start point by the Moorings, Banavie, Fort William.

Finish Time: Approx. 4-6.00 pm on Day 5 in Inverness City Centre

Paddling Experience Req:  Very little canoeing/paddling experience is required for this adventure. Starting on the Caledonian Canal on day 1, there is time to teach the basic forward paddling and steering skills. Each day your skills will improve with the different paddling environments this coast-to-coast adventure brings.

Physical Fitness: Although paddling is relatively relaxing, paddlers should be generally fit and possibly do some upper body muscular endurance training to build up to paddle for five days. Lifting kit, barrels, and sharing lifting of the empty canoe on and off the water with your paddling partner is required. Best practice lifting & moving techniques will be shown.

Age: This adventure is suitable for adults, or accompanied children(14-17 years old)

COVID-19 Activity Advice: A number of precautions are being put in place to ensure safety for all attending.

• All participants are attending on the basis they are NOT suffering from any COVID-19 symptoms, have NOT knowingly been in contact with anyone suffering from COVID-19 symptoms within the last 14 days, and are fit, healthy, and happy to participate.
• Should any booked participant discover they have developed any COVID-19 symptoms, participants are asked to contact Explore Highland by email at the earliest opportunity.
• We ask all participants to respect social distancing to assist in everyone’s safety.
• Social distancing will be maintained throughout the adventure whether on land or when out on the water.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitisers will be available for regular application at the start, tea break, and at the end of the paddling day.
• Pre & post-cleaning of all craft and kit will also be completed to ensure all paddler’s safety.
• Additional safety briefing to explain options of self-rescue and ensuring highlighting ways to ensure no sharing of equipment.
• Coach/guide will use disposable gloves when issuing clean kit, and when you are finished with it.  Gloves will also be worn if help is required carrying the craft to the water.
• Group photos will be taken using social distancing and “group hug photos” encouraged to only the same household.
• Should the Scottish/UK government change travel restrictions after deposits/balance has been paid, Explore Highland will honour your booking and offer an alternative date/event to attend once restrictions have been lifted.
• If paddling shuttle restrictions are still in place at the time of events, Explore Highland may not be able to offer transport to the start/from the finish of the activity/adventure. If this is the case, you will be given notification at the earliest opportunity, along with other safe Covid-19 transport suggestions.
• Should there be any more best practice advice issued, we will ensure to add to this list to further promote safe paddling for all.