An Overnight Canoe Adventure in Scotland
It’s been four years since our last trip to Scotland. Four years exactly in fact. The last time we vowed never again. We had visited many times before, having good adventures, but that last time broke us. 2 weeks in our old van travelling around, visiting conservation and wildlife projects along the way, wild camping, bathing in rivers and hiking in the mountains with Benji who was aged 5 at the time. That was the plan at least. The weather had other ideas however and we were forced to drive from one place to the next, stopping only briefly to peer through rain soaked windscreens at the blurred landscape, sleeping in our too small to be comfortable for three van wherever we could park. On the few days that rain abated, midges descended upon us in vast clouds, feasting on our bodies. Benji did not respond well and made sure to let us know he wasn’t having a great time. There were a few fleeting moments of joy, there always are, but our overriding feeling was one of relief to be home. We were done with Scotland, in August at any rate.
When my sister announced she was getting married in Scotland this August my heart sank. Not that I wasn’t happy for my sister you understand, but a trip north was being forced upon us. After an initial bout of reluctance, we vowed to make the most of the opportunity to get away. Maybe it was time to give Scotland another chance - it couldn’t be as bad as last time, right?
As the date got closer, we settled on the idea of a multi-day canoe trip. Nothing especially epic, but a couple of days of paddling and camping along one of the many lochs. It would be our first proper trip in the canoe since we bought it just after we moved to the Lake District 3 years ago. Although we’ve paddled a lot on the lakes here locally, this would be a mini expedition. There was a lot to learn about packing for a canoe trip and planning for a different set of eventualities to the ones we’re used to when hiking in wild places. What happens if we go overboard? What if the wind picks up and we get stranded? I like the planning aspect of trips like this; imagining various scenarios, going through processes in your mind and coming up with solutions to problems before they happen in real life.
Luckily several of our friends are experienced paddlers and they were happy to share tips and vital info. I had done some safety and rescue training shortly after we bought the canoe too, so after a bit of practice and a lot of packing and re-packing we felt ready to embark on our first canoe journey.
As the day of our canoe voyage drew nearer, it became clear the weather was going to be perfect for being on the water. Warm, sunny with calm winds. The only worry in our minds was there would not be enough wind to deter the midges as we set up camp in the evening - if you are not familiar with the Scottish midge, they are the bane of the outdoor experience in summer. Thriving in woods, boggy areas and by water, midges are micro winged beasts capable of wreaking havoc on your plans, rising in swarms of thousands on still mornings and evenings biting and buzzing and making simple tasks like cooking or putting up a tent an absolute nightmare. If midges are biting, you can forget sitting outside on a warm summer’s evening, unless you like the feeling of being pricked by thousands of tiny needles and small biting creatures flying into your eyes. Midges however are so tiny that a gentle breeze is enough to keep them at bay. When travelling in Scotland in the summer, you do not bemoan the wind, you befriend it.
Driving west after the wedding through the mountains on winding roads, gazing at peaks with lower slopes clad in birch and oak, over rivers and passed waterfalls that made the landscape in the Lake District seem suddenly small, we wondered if perhaps we should have given this place another chance sooner. After a night in a large and very well provisioned campsite (the kind we usually avoid) at the foot of Ben Nevis our road took us out towards to coast. Our original plan was to put the canoe in at Glenfinnan, traveling up Loch Shiel towards the sea, but plans were scuppered by unexpectedly large numbers of tourists flocking to the area to get a glimpse of a viaduct which was used in the filming of one of the Harry Potter movies. There was no where to park our van and little enthusiasm on our part be part of the chaos.
Luckily we have a backup plan and had scoped out other lochs in the area on the map just in case. Leaving Glenfinnan behind, bewildered as to why so many people would care so much about something they had seen in a fictional film, a half an hour drive led us to another loch, glassy smooth, fringed with oak and pine woods, dotted with tiny islands ripe for exploration and direct access to unload our canoe and kit. Perhaps the Harry Potter fans had done us a favour…
It was hot in the bright early afternoon sun whilst loading the canoe with our kit. Too hot. This was not something we had anticipated. There was hope that further out on the water, the slight breeze ruffling the surface would cool us as we paddled. No doubt we would find plenty of swimming spots offering respite from the heat too.
There’s something magical about pushing off from the shore in a canoe, the feeling of weightlessness as you leave behind the solidity of the earth and embark on a watery adventure. Boundaries are blurred. All is fluid. The landscape appears as if anew, a world of reflections and altered perspective. I take a deep breath and let my shoulders sink.
It feels good to finally be heading away from our van and out into the unknown; just us, our floating vessel, no fixed destination, a vast body of water to explore. Paddling out of a small bay and into deeper water, dark and clear as glass beneath, the full length of the loch opens up before us, flanked on both sides by steep mountains with layers of faded peaks in the far distance.
For several hours we paddle along the loch, passing tree covered islands, stopping to swim at every small beach we find. One small bay, fringed with gnarled oaks, banks of heather and a shingle beach with just enough room to pitch our tent feels particularly inviting and we decide to make our home here for the night. We swim again to cool off before unloading all our kit onto the beach. Our plan was to cook on fire, but the land is parched after what must have been a couple of weeks of unusually hot, dry weather so we opt to use a gas stove. Dinner is still delicious though; one of the joys of canoe travel is the ability to pack extra bits of kit, ingredients and luxuries that would be impractical or impossible to carry on foot.
As the sun dips slowly dips behind the mountains and everything glows golden, the midges sense that their time to attack is nigh. Scrambling to gather our kit together before we’re eaten alive, we hastily pack up and dive into our mesh fortress. Oh well, we have been lucky to avoid them up until now. It is roasting hot in the tent however, and we’re not quite ready to give up on the beautiful conditions, so we decide to hop back into the canoe and out onto the water where the midges are fewer, paddling around in liquid gold for a while until our tent beckons.
Early the next morning, a breeze rustles the dry, withered leaves on the birches behind our tent. A breeze is good. Hopefully we can cook breakfast and pack up without being swarmed by midges, but I wonder what it means for our return journey. The forecast was for light winds, but as I stand looking out onto the loch, gone are the smooth glassy reflections of the day before and crests of small waves break the surface.
The wind blows roughly in the direction we want to go, yet hitting us more broadside than we would like, and stronger too. We don’t have a ton of experience in windy conditions on the canoe and I’m nervous as we pack up after a refreshing swim in the cool morning light but try to not let it show.
Paddling out of the shelter of the bay and into the deep water, the swell rocks our canoe from side to side, whilst the wind hits the keel, turning the boat the opposite way we want to go. I’m at the back and try to steer us right, but the canoe does the opposite to what I’m expecting. We end up spinning a full 360 degrees in order to get back facing the right direction. Me and Emma quickly try to work out a system of paddling together to stop us getting blown off course; gradually we figure it out and zig zag with the swell. A little sheltered beach approaches and we head towards it; we need a break from paddling and a chance to reassess the situation.
After a bumpy landing, we eat a snack on the beach and check the map, looking for bailout options. There’s a steep hill which we climb to get an overview of conditions and to match the map with reality. There are two choices: stay put for another day and hope the wind drops or keep paddling for several kms until we reach a small inlet from which we can access the end of the road; I can walk the last few kms to get the van. The weather forecast is for stronger winds the next day so we opt to head for the inlet.
Back in the boat and the swell has increased; we’re rocked and buffeted as we head diagonally out into the deep water of the loch. We need to get the angle right so the wind doesn't trap us in the small bay but we also don’t want to stray too far from the shore in case we get tipped out and have to swim. Once out in the open water, we set a course for the inlet and ride with the swell and wind. It’s bumpy and hard to keep our line, but with the wind and swell behind us we are going fast. We press our tent groundsheet into service as a sail which Emma holds up front whilst I steer. Every now and then a series of waves builds up together, raising the canoe high as they pass underneath us before dropping us down into the trough. Benji is enjoying the ride.
Eventually, around a rocky corner the beach comes into view at the head of the inlet. A couple of fishing boats are moored there and it looks like we can access the road easily enough. Although we’re anxious to make it to shore, we’re having fun being buffeted about and enjoying the challenge; our leisurely journey has suddenly turned into something more adventurous and we know this part of our trip will be etched into our minds for many years to come.
It’s a relief to make it to the shore. There’s time for coffee and reflection on our journey as we sit on the little shingle beach, glad to have made it, and glad to have had the adventure. The experience has been good for our confidence on the water and we talk of future canoe trips, further and longer. I hike down the road a few kms to get the van and drive back to the end of the road to pick up Emma, Benji and our canoe.
From here, we are headed to the white sandy beaches and turquoise water on the west coast, but just for another couple of days before heading home. It’s been a whirlwind tour and there’s lots more we’d like to have done, but we’re glad to say Scotland has redeemed itself, weaving its magic into our consciousness…
We’ll be back.