Across Scotland by Canoe, Version 2.0 – Easter 2008

Last Easter Iain Robertson and I made an epic attempt to canoe across Scotland from Kinlochleven to Perth. A journey that ended up taking us seven days after a long drag over Rannoch Moor in very poor conditions. Despite having been on numerous overseas expeditions last years cross Scotland journey still rates as one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Like all journeys of this kind you say to yourself, ‘never again’. However we have recently been thinking about a follow up and have now put the second week of the Easter Holidays aside for Across Scotland V2.0. Again we will be allowing ourselves seven days to cover a distance of over 150km between Mallaig and Inverness. The journey will take us on the sea, over land, loch and white water river. We will have to paddle, improvise sail, pole, track, line and cruise –we will be taking one canoe each and been completely self sufficient for our journey.

So here’s the plan:

• Start in Mallaig – paddle / sail down Loch Nevis to Tarbert.
• Portage from Loch Nevis to Loch Morar.
• Paddle / sail down Loch Morar to the East shore of the Loch
• Pole, track, line, drag and make use of any water and lochens from Loch Morar to Loch Arkaig.
• Paddle / sail down Loch Arkaig
• Paddle Down River Arkaig (walking around the grade IV Waterfall!)
• Paddle / sail down Loch Lochy
• Paddle short section of the Caledonian Canel into Loch Oich
• Paddle River Oich into Loch Ness
• Paddle / Sail up Loch Ness
• Paddle down River Ness into Inverness and the Sea.

Sounds easy doesn’t it! Lets just hope for a bit of water in the rivers and strong Westerly and South Westerly Winds after Day One!

See below for a Google Map of the route. The red is the sea, the green is definite portage (carry) and the blue is inland loch or river – I hope to up-load photos after the trip.

View Larger Map

Comments

[Bill]

Looks great. Remember those portage trolleys!

[Mark Tennant]

You're intending to portage the length of Glen Dessary? Good Luck!!! :-) Sounds like a great journey. You should 'start' from the Pub at Inverie though (paddle over the day before?)

[Richard]

Hi Ollie
We've not met - I don't think - but we've certainly been to lots of the same places! I've done most of the trip you plan - Nevis, Morar, Arkaig, Lochy. Like Mark says the tough bit is Glen Dessary. That was a 2 day portage from leaving Morar to getting enough water to float the boats again. Your boats will get lighter though - you'll scrape the keels thin! Don't let me put you off however - its a tremendous feeling once you've done it. We also did Quoich, Nevis, Morar one year - also tough but mainly downhill! Love the photos of L.Sheil - always a favourite.

[OllieBray]

Hi Richard, good to hear from you and nice of you to give us some advice about the route! We did Kinlochleven to Perth last year so have a real idea what dragging is like. I'm sure I'll write about the experience. Have you got any good trips in the pipe line? Cheers for now. Ollie.

[kayak]

you guys are having great fun. i am from singapore and kayaking is a very monor sports there. regards april

[Chris Stevens]

hi guys i dont no you but i did the kinlochleven to perth trip a few years back in 5days and your rite it is epic. im planing a trip from malaig to pert this winter 240km ish over 9days using loch morar- arkaig- fort william -kinlochleven and so on have you ever looked at that? Chris

[OllieBray]

Chris - that sounds like hell of a trip! Make sure you let us know how you get on! Ollie

[Alastair Humphreys]

The first half was identical to our trip with packrafts...

[Nick]

Hey guys, I did this last winter, it was absolutely stunning, had to skip out the bits of frozen canal