Great Glen Canoe Guide

27/01/2025

A lot is happening behind the scenes before the main Great Glen Canoe Trail season begins again.

* The new website had a soft launch back at the end of December
* My minibus has had its full service, MOT & a full valet so all ready to go again
* Reviewing the current situation of the route with access points and wild camping
* Three dates all set for my evening support sessions for hire clients
* Lots of evening Paddle Scotland updates, support sessions, and attending both the SUP Development group as well as the Access & Environment group
* Liaising with Scottish Canals as a new Operation Manager has started based at the Caledonian Canal office out of Seaport Marina, Inverness. Fingers crossed a meeting can be arranged soon.

So even in the off-season, it's still very busy.

So, if you and your friends plan on canoeing the Great Glen in 2025, please feel free to get in touch. The sooner the better so I can support you from the outset.

Some dates/weeks are already fully booked up!
https://explorehighland.com/hire/open-canoe-hire/

09/11/2024

More developments on the Caledonian Canal. This time Dochfour Weir. What will this mean for paddlers paddling over, playing below and groups wishing to portage around?

Planning on attending one of these events and taking it from there!

Ness Weir – proposed alterations

Stratera Energy, the developer of the proposed Loch Kemp Pumped Hydro Scheme are proposing to modify the existing Ness Weir. To quote from their leaflet “this will better optimise the efficiency of existing and future pumped hydro and critically provide future resilience against the impacts of climate change. As a result, local businesses, leisure users, fishing activity, those who use the canal for boating and transportation, and others including pumped storage hydro will benefit from better management of water levels in Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal.”

More details are available at www.nessweir2.co.uk

Public consultation events will be held

Dores Village Hall 19 Nov, 3pm to 7.30pm
An Talla, Dochgarroch 20 Nov, 11am to 2pm
Caledonian Canal centre Fort Augustus 20 Nov , 4pm to 7.30pm
The Treehouse, Carsegate Rd, Inverness 21 Nov, 11am to 2pm
Glenmoriston Hotel, Ness Bank, Inverness 21 Nov 4pm to 7.30 pm

These are pre-planning application consultations and feedback should be to the developer, not Highland Council

07/11/2024

It's with great sadness to hear this morning about Eddie passing away earlier in the week.

Eddie, through his work with the Scottish Canoe Association and Forestry Commission Scotland originally floated the idea, paddle the route, and assessed the possibility of a canoe trail being created and promoted for Scotland.

In 2010-2012 he was the SCA representative attended my monthly development meetings for the Great Glen Canoe Trail project and supported the launch event held in Fort Augustus in March 2012. If you have the GGCT guidebook you will see he also wrote the foreword for me in both the 2011 edition, as well as he 2020 2nd edition.

Eddie himself wrote both editions of Scottish Canoe Classics guidebooks, and co-authored both English Canoe Classic guidebooks, Irish Canoe Classic guidebook, and the Welsh Canoe Classic Canoe guidebook through Pesda Press.

He was also part of the SCA Access and Environment committee over many decades, supporting and working voluntarily to help retain responsible access for all.

He will be missed by all in the Scottish paddling community. My deepest sympathies to his family at this very difficult time.

03/11/2024

2025 canoe hire & shuttle bookings are already coming in. Get in touch to find out more and to book your canoes!

03/11/2024

Awe check these wee bundles of fun out.

I bet the crew didn't mind helping at the station for this photoshoot!

03/11/2024

For everyone planning to take on the Great Glen in the near future, please be aware that the Dores Inn may not be open.

One of the canoe trail's/Loch Ness main attractions for an evening meal or a celebratory last evening of the trip after paddling across the world's most famous loch, paddlers may not get the rehydration they deserve as the inn has recently changed hands and temporarily closed as advertised on Google and locally.

Here's to hope it is not long before it reopens!

https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/scotlands-richest-man-buys-much-loved-dores-inn-pub-on-loch-ness

10/07/2024

If it wasn't for this diversion off the A82, I wouldn't have seen this last night up at Loch Tarff on the south side.

02/04/2024

A few weeks ago Chris from Liquid Footprints was paddling over Loch Oich and took this photo of the Leiterfearn Trailblazer Rest where the composting toilet looks like its come off worst for wear after a recent storm.

This has been reported to Scottish Canals but unaware if anything has been done to rectify the situation. Here's hoping no one was in there when this happened!

Will update once I hear more, so be prepared to have to wild toilet in the area. Even better, do use the facilities at Laggan Locks before taking on Loch Oich if possible.

02/04/2024

Lots of stunning scenary to appreciate when taking on the Great Glen Canoe Trail. Don't forget the stunning views to be had even if starting/finishing at Banavie/Muirtown.

It's only a short walk from the Great Glen Canoe Trail car park by Muirtown Flight, to the end of the canal at Clachnaharry Sea Lock.

Stunning views over the Beauly Firth as well as out passed the Kessock Bridge and the Moray Firth beyond.

01/02/2024

Even in the Great Glen things change.

Last week Mike & myself paddled up from Foyers to The Beeches where there's a planned hydro power scheme proposed at Loch Kemp with the inlet/outflow pipes to be located at this iconic stop off point where many thousand paddlers every year stop for a break, or wild camp over night.

Communication with the planners and development has started, including what the fate for The Beeches is even for this coming season. Ground inspections and barges are already anchored of the beach and anchor cables including land anchors, heris fencing and drilling machines already on site. 😱

Keep an eye on this page for more updates on this!

15/12/2023

As I am coming to the end of the year and a very busy 2023 season, planning is already underway for 2024.

As you know, I work and support all sorts of paddling adventures in the Great Glen. So if you are looking to self-guide this classic coast-to-coast canoe adventure in 2024, a date has already been set for my annual MS Teams support evenings for hire clients.

GGCT Support Evening - Tuesday 19th March 2024 (2000-2130)

So if you wish to join in on this fun and very informative evening session, make sure you get your hire booking in and confirmed ASAP. Due to other booking commitments, I am only accepting a limited number of canoe-hire bookings for 2024.

For more info on 2024 canoe hire, please see -
https://www.explorehighland.com/hire/open-canoe-hire/

02/04/2023

Taking on the Great Glen Canoe Trail in the near future.

Check out my latest post regarding Scottish Canals Facility Access. https://www.explorehighland.com/great-glen-canoe-trail-facilities-access/

Later this week I will also be posting my Top 10 Tips for taking on this coast-to-coast adventure.

Hire canoe & shuttle bookings are coming in fast and furious creating a bit of an admin backlog. April, May & June are near full already so if you are still thinking about booking for 2023, please get your booking forms in ASAP before the diary is full!
https://www.explorehighland.com/hire/open-canoe-hire/

Planning on taking on the Great Glen Canoe Trail, well you should look to plan to get a facilities key to allow you access to facilities along this amazing coast to coast route. Scottish Canals who manage the Caledonian Canal have a number of facility blocks along this 60

14/03/2023

Great to see that Scottish Canals have finally repaired the area at Oich Pier, Fort Augustus.

This area has over the last few years been literally hammered by the wind, waves, and water with a high Loch Ness and non prevailing winds hitting the loch side.

Most paddlers will probably continue to use the access/launch to the left through the tree area, than down the narrow path, but it's great to see the area being repaired and maintained.

Fingers crossed the Great Glen Canoe Trail information/safety panel will also be reinstalled before the start of the main season.

14/03/2023

Canoeing Bear Family by Loch Lochy.

14/03/2023

Walk through the new Trailblazer Rest site on Loch Lochy.

14/03/2023

Recently I paid a visit to the new Trailblazer Rest being installed on the north side of Loch Lochy to replace the recently closed Glasdhoire Trailblazer Rest as the Coire Glas hydro development has started.

After a number of chats with SSE over the last year and from my first visit, I was very impressed with the work the SSE team has done to relocate what paddlers, walkers and cyclists will be using from late spring onwards.

Due to the weather and limited time, I took my bike in the 5km from Laggan end and took on the newly diverted Great Glen Way route which is also very well done ensure walkers & cyclists are able to complete the route clear of the Coire Glas works.

With a new path, sheltered cairns, seating, and many information panels, the new 3km path from the upper to lower road through the forest was very well completed.

Arriving at the new Trailblazer Rest site, walkers and cyclists are greeted by a welcoming sight - a well-crafted carved hiking bear with cub!

Walking down the path to the area to be used for camping, the woods have been thinned out, areas leveled and approx. fifteen tent pitches were identified.

A new functional composting toilet has been installed again with another fun carved bear asking you not to poo in the woods.

Further down closer to the lochside there is a more formal area with a similar three-sided shelter, seating, and a fire pit.

To help identify the site from the water, there is a third carving on the lochside - a family of bears in a canoe.

All in all, it's looking pretty good. I certainly am looking forward to staying over at this location.

Fingers crossed all users will appreciate the work, effort, and cost that has gone into this new site and will help look after it so many many Great Glen Way walkers, cyclists, and paddlers get to reap the benefits!

Please feel free to share so the news of the new site replacing Glasdhoire is known.