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 breakfasts, 2 lunches, All dinnersTransfers
To and from the start point in InvernessEquipment
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. Your guide will bring wild toileting equipment and brief you on good practice when toileting outdoors in a wilderness environment.
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.
The Caledonian Canal section includes a number of locks, and you will need to help lift boats and equipment, helping portage around these. The distances covered are generally quite short, but the boats can be heavy to carry, 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 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 :)
Fantastic adventure !
I had a wonderful time canoeing through the canals and lochs of beautiful Scotland. Amazing scenery and as a novice I got to learn new canoeing skills. Leanne was an excellent guide- friendly, kind and so hard working ( she also makes a delicious salmon pasta !) It was an experience I will not forget.
What a trip
The scenary is spectacular, so much space and nature. The guide, Luke, looked after us brilliantly, was really helpful and informative and cooked us lots of lovely food. The guy, Scott who collected us at the end went above and beyond dropping us all just where we wanted to be. The kit was good with the canoe sailing a real highlight! The weather was kind to us but bewarned Scotland in August is not particularly warm
Wetter than Nessies pocket!
Despite the deluge of rain the expedition was extremely enjoyable, made so by the people and the beautiful scenery. I really enjoyed the evenings sat around the fire getting to know my fellow campmates. Our guide Elliott (In Your Element) was an excellent chef and great company, full of local knowledge and rubbish jokes!
If you are considering this trip then my top tip would be to bring the right footwear, wellies are perfect for in the boat, it's what the guides wear for good reason. It is also quite physical as you portage around locks, hard work but a welcome break from paddling.
Overall I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to challenge themselves and meet some amazing people.
Despite some pretty rubbish weather,
Despite some pretty rubbish weather, which meant we were rained off for an entire day, we had a good week in Scotland. Elliott was very kind and lovely; he made a huge effort to ensure everyone was well looked after and happy. The trip was well-organised, and Elliott was able to react to changing conditions in order to keep everyone safe. Food was good, the evening meals were well thought out. Lunch got a little bit repetitive, especially if you're not hugely keen on bread rolls with ham & cheese. It's important to be aware that the portage can be strenuous - and if you have any pre-existing injuries then definitely check that you're able to manage the weight and distance for carrying canoes, equipment etc. For those who are unfit / new to exercise, extra caution should be applied. What you can't control, aside from the weather, is the people in your group. I was lucky to meet some incredibly special individuals, with whom I suspect there will be an ongoing connection.
Loved every rainy second of it
Excellent experience despite the nasty weather forcing us to take a rest day. Elliott, our guide from In Your Element (subletting), was informative, funny and an overall great host for the week. At all times, he was clearly a hundred steps ahead and knew exactly what to do to ensure we all still had a great time. The food was great and I really appreciated the opportunity to catch a pint in Fort Augustus and in Dores. I can’t wait for the next adventure with Much Better/ In Your Element.
Challenges, Gorgeous nature, Great adventure!
An altogether unforgettable experience!
Thanks to Katy our wonderful guide 😘, for the great meals and inspiring personality!
The opportunity to discover that beautiful part of Scotland with nice people and to learn to use our physical and mental strength😉, out of our comfort zone.
Excellent scenery, menu and company
Enjoyed the adventure and the views thoroughly despite the wet weather and midges. The tour organizer was really generous with the menu. The tour guides were fun and high energy.
Fort William to Inverness
Would I do it again ...... Absolutely.🙂 Fantastic trip and all-round great experience. Two super team leaders Leanne and Ryan. Totally recommend this 👍
100km Caledonian canoe trip
This was a fantastic trip canoeing from Fort William to Inverness along the Caledonian canal, including across Loch Ness (superb fun sailing in the strong gusting wind!!). The weather was a mixed bag as expected , but that just added to the feeling of adventure. Be prepared for midges at the wild camping sites though.
An excellent adventure
I had a great five days on the canoe expedition and would recommend this trip to all who are interested in getting better views of the Scottish Highlands that many don't see. It was value for money and the guiding, food and accommodation were all great. It was my first time booking this kind of holiday but it won't be my last.