100km Canoe Expedition Across Scotland
Cross Scotland from Fort William in the west, to Inverness in the east along the Caledonian Canal
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with local, expert, certified canoe guidesWild camping
4 nights wild campingMeals
All your breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout the tripTransfers
From the start point in Inverness and backEquipment
All your canoeing, camping and safety equipmentSmall Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 7 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
…
What's it like?
Traverse 100km of flat water and experience the Great Glen Trail on a long-distance canoe adventure across Scotland
Cross the legendary Loch Ness and pretend that you’re not secretly looking for monsters
Wild camp at remote and beautiful spots along the way surrounded by some of the UK’s highest mountains
Key Information
Day 1
Banavie to Gairlochy
Canoeing
Meet your host in Inverness and drive to Banavie (near Fort William) where you’ll pack your canoe, get to know the group and have a practice paddle in the canal basin. Head for Gairlochy, where you’ll choose a suitably remote campsite and tuck into some tasty grub prepared by your guides and wild camp under the stars.
Day 2
Loch Oich
Canoeing
Get back on the water and paddle the length of the creatively-named Loch Lochy. Pass through Laggan Locks and navigate your way to Loch Oich from where you can explore the surrounding, wooded bays and look for a secluded and scenic camping spot.
Day 3
Loch Ness
Canoeing
Portage around the lock gates at Cullochy and Kytra, before reaching the village of Fort Augustus. Re-stock and then take on the world’s most famous loch, Loch Ness. Find a remote spot to camp and enjoy dinner on the beach as you pretend that you’re not secretly looking for Nessie.
Day 4
Head of the Loch
Canoeing
The weather will determine your route and conditions today. If a strong wind is blowing it can get tough and you might even find yourself negotiating some decent waves. In normal conditions, however, it’s a leisurely, scenic paddle with views of Urqhuart Castle. That done, it's time to find a spot for the night at the head of Loch Ness before heading to the nearby Dores Inn to celebrate your last night with the group.
Day 5
Inverness
Canoeing
Paddle along Loch Dochfour and through rolling farmland before entering Inverness where your adventure will come to an end. Unpack your canoe and head back to Inverness train station (or a location of your choice in the city centre) ready for your journey home.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Central Inverness
09:00 on Day 1
Ends
Inverness town centre, train station, bus station, or your accommodation in town.
Early afternoon on Day 5
Transfers
You’ll meet your host in the car park at the Tesco Metro on Tomnahurich Street in Inverness at 09:00. You will then be transferred by minibus to Fort William (2 hour drive). We recommend you arrive the night before to ensure you don't miss your transfer.
Your trip will end in Inverness mid-afternoon. Your host will transfer you to the town centre train station, bus station, or your accommodation in Inverness. It is also easy to get a 25-minute taxi ride to Inverness Airport to catch a flight from late afternoon onwards. Please don't book any onwards travel before 5 pm in case of bad weather and a delayed arrival into Inverness.
Travel options
Inverness is well served by train routes and flights. There is a daily Virgin Trains East Coast from London King’s Cross to Inverness, and a number of route options within Scotland with ScotRail. The Caledonian Sleeper also offers an overnight service direct to Inverness starting at London Euston, with stops at Crewe and Preston. There are also direct flights from across the UK and Europe.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
You'll tuck into fresh, quality, tasty meals throughout the expedition. For breakfast, there'll be cereal or porridge with various toppings, as well as hot drinks. For lunch, you can expect wraps with a whole host of tasty fillings, fruit and some treats to keep you going. At dinner time you can expect to refuel after an active day with a three-course meal – starters might include Scottish smoked salmon, patés and oatcakes; main courses will include fresh ingredients like fish, meats and vegetables; dessert could be strawberries and clotted cream with shortbread, or cake and custard. Snacks and drinks will also be available between meals.
Vegetarian, vegan and other dietary requirements can be catered for, please just request this in advance on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Wild Camping
You’ll wild camp in twin share tents in remote and beautiful spots by the loch side. Accommodation is basic with only one opportunity for a shower along the way in Fort Augustus. On most trips, your host provides a portable camping toilet for use at each of the wild camping spots. Small and packable, this camping toilet allows waste to be packed-out and disposed of properly when facilities are available.
Upgrades
For solo travellers wanting their own personal space, you can request your own private tent on the trip at no extra cost (subject to availability). Just request with your host when booking.
This trip has been rated as Moderate
Some previous experience in canoes or kayaks is preferable, but isn't essential, as guidance will be provided throughout. Possibly more important is to have a good level of general fitness, i.e. participants will be paddling 100km over the course of the trip, and tiredness is a factor.
It is important to note that the Caledonian Canal section includes a number of locks, and you will need to lift your boats and the equipment, helping portage around these. The distances covered are generally quite short, but the boats can be pretty heavy to carry when packed with the equipment, so you will need to be prepared for this.
The Scottish summer is usually warm but you can expect some rain, even if it's just a little. Prepare for anything and think ‘layers.’ Conditions in April and May will be slightly cooler, with the potential for frost at night. Kit-wise, the main thing is a warm sleeping bag, or an additional bag liner if you feel the cold more.
Great 👍
Luke is a legend
Awesome trip, would do it agin!
This was an amazing trip from start to finish. The scenery was stunning, the paddling was tiring but not too tough, it was great to be active every day. The small group size is perfect, and our guide Luke was brilliant and really made the trip. We were well looked after, on and off the water - the food surpassed all my expectations - I was not expecting three course meals on a wild camping trip, but it was delicious and we were well fed :-) Can't recommend this trip highly enough, would gladly do it again!
Spellbound Highlands
Profoundly beautiful. I cannot begin to tell you how much this trip was worth it.
My group was varied personalities and really lovely. I was so nervous, as a first-time solo female traveller, but everyone I met in Inverness was kind, helpful and friendly. Everyone on the trip is there to enjoy the holiday and canoe. We all fit together naturally and your host really helps to integrate everyone without stress.
Luke our host, is an incredible person, I’ve learnt a lot from him, not only how to canoe and wild camp, but also upon reflection, about life. He is a great chef , good fun, rad historian and such a vibe. 😎
I’ll takeaway so many things from this trip for a lifetime.
There are so many colours and textures which make up the water of a great Loch. Or learning to map constellations sitting by a roaring fire. Sipping coffee and watching the dawn break. Really laughing with once strangers, now friends. Pitching a tent for the first time. Sailing amongst the waves. So many portage experiences. Majestic Rams, otters and dragonflies.
It is a genuine honour and privilege to have been on this trip. I am so glad I took the plunge and went for it, you will not regret it!
Stunning
This is an excellent trip - well thought out, executed, and enjoyable. There was a manageable amount of paddling each day, with planned stops allowing everyone to feel comfortable. The food was very tasty and varied, with some nice little surprises along the way. Most people’s pre-trip fears seem to be around the toilet provision, but it is absolutely fine, and I would say the main thing to prepare yourself for is the idea you’ll have moist feet and be a bit smelly for a week - which is totally worth it for the experience you will get.
Katy, our guide, was brilliant. Handling two things at once came very naturally to her and she always answered all our questions and helped us with our kit whenever we needed. Everyone in the group ended the trip as good paddlers and more knowledgable about the area thanks to her insights.
Fantastic Trip!
Brilliant Trip, well run and organised, the Guide knew the route, and did a fantastic job of pacing us. She was great company, didn't over crowd us with stories, had some good local knowledge to share, only got lost at the end when we were trying to find the carpark.
Food Food was great, with a three-course meals each night, and they dealt with my dietary requirements well. Moist Cake, plenty of snacks, and wine with dinner.
Toilet Situation You'll encounter one propper toilet per day, then it's a "loo with a view" it works well.
Things you need to know
- You'll only be sharing a tent if you specifically ask for it. Tents are a bit of a faff to put up but they are ok.
- You'll probably be given a set of waterproofs by the company, this is helpful.
- If you are tall, it's less of a muscular challenge than a skeletal one, the canoes with their kit can be cramped.
- Portaging is a complete pain.
- Bring a Camera, the views are incredible.
Extra Kit you need that isn't on the list
- Take something to sit on in camp of an evening, some sort of folding chair.
- Bring some extra padding for the canoe - camp bed foam is perfect for this.
It's a trip of a lifetime, just book it.
Our expedition was amazing!!!! We
Our expedition was amazing!!!! We got very lucky with the weather but the trip would have been amazing regardless - Elliot was an exceptional leader, very trustworthy and kind, and so good at leading the group. He made sure we were safe and had fun every step of the way. The canoeing was great fun, and the scenery was incredible. Wild camping was really fun - beware the midges! - and the food supply was brilliant. Great meals and more than enough snacks to keep you going throughout the day. Such a treat to have a three course meal every evening! The team bonded really well and was a good mix of solo travellers and couples/friends, a real mix of characters who worked together and supported each other really well. I can’t recommend this expedition enough - it’s not the heights of luxury, it’s getting in touch with the real Scotland and experiencing the beautiful nature of it first hand. Biggest shout out ever to Elliot!!!!
Great trip, absolutely loved it
Elliot was conscientious, informative, helpful and fun throughout the trip. The organisation was close to faultless and the trip felt fun and safe all the way through. A great trip with a great bunch of like minded people.
An Amazing Trip!
A bucket list trip ticked off! Our guide, Lianne, was absolutely fantastic. The care and attention she put into making the trip amazing for everyone was second to none. The meals were delicious and carefully prepared (I am coeliac), and evenings round the campfire with deer strolling through, an ice cold swim in Loch Oich and miles of stunning scenery made for a brilliant canoeing adventure.
incredibly beautiful impressions!
This experience was incredible: The route and the wild camps were great... we were able to enjoy 4 sunny days and a day of Scottish rain, were able to sail a bit and went swimming in Loch Oich. Lianne was a outstanding guide, her dinner definitely exceeded my expectations! She The midgenet and my waterproof shoe covers were my favorite accessories for that trip ;)
I traveled solo and met great people - for me it was definitly a bucketlist-experience :)