Canoeing Across Scotland: The Great Glen Canoe Trail
27 to 31 July, 2017
Just back from a great trip canoeing across Scotland along the Great Glen canoe trail. It’s a 60 mile trail that runs from Fort William to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal and several lochs including Loch Ness. And it is beautiful!!
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A group of us from SKCC spent five days on the trail paddling open canoes. It was an interesting paddle, challenging in parts as the Lochs were pretty much inland seas changing rapidly with changing weather conditions and capable of generating a swell of 1-2 metres. The canal itself made up about 22 miles of the trail.
We were able to see Scotland at its most beautiful and to get a unique view of the changing landscape from the water. The trail itself was incredibly peaceful, surrounded by incredible landscape from banks of ferns and wild flowers to near vertical forests of pine. We passed tall sailing boats heading out to sea, working boats transporting plant machinery, sightseers, walkers on the Great Glen trail and two fellow canoeists. The lock keepers and campsites along the way were a great source of information about the local conditions and very, very local weather forecasts. We had sun, rain, wind and rainbows!
The trip gave us a great chance to use and develop our canoe skills to navigate the canal and lochs; to develop our map reading skills; to plan and think about strategy and safety; to work as a (great) team. All in all a fantastic experience and great company. I would paddle this trail again at the drop of a hat!
27 to 31 July, 2017
Just back from a great trip canoeing across Scotland along the Great Glen canoe trail. It’s a 60 mile trail that runs from Fort William to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal and several lochs including Loch Ness. And it is beautiful!!
...
A group of us from SKCC spent five days on the trail paddling open canoes. It was an interesting paddle, challenging in parts as the Lochs were pretty much inland seas changing rapidly with changing weather conditions and capable of generating a swell of 1-2 metres. The canal itself made up about 22 miles of the trail.
We were able to see Scotland at its most beautiful and to get a unique view of the changing landscape from the water. The trail itself was incredibly peaceful, surrounded by incredible landscape from banks of ferns and wild flowers to near vertical forests of pine. We passed tall sailing boats heading out to sea, working boats transporting plant machinery, sightseers, walkers on the Great Glen trail and two fellow canoeists. The lock keepers and campsites along the way were a great source of information about the local conditions and very, very local weather forecasts. We had sun, rain, wind and rainbows!
The trip gave us a great chance to use and develop our canoe skills to navigate the canal and lochs; to develop our map reading skills; to plan and think about strategy and safety; to work as a (great) team. All in all a fantastic experience and great company. I would paddle this trail again at the drop of a hat!