Peer Paddle, Glen Affric, Scotland, May 2024
This trip was suggested after a member of Davepaddles (LN) visited the area in 2023 and saw that both lochs were suitable for longer kayak camping paddles.
In early May 2024 two DP Members (LN and PG) met at Cannich, a small village in the Glen Affric area, west of Loch Ness. They did an early scoping view (a drive near the lochs) of possible put in places and decided which loch to start off on based on weather and wind reports. They decided to look at two 2 day canoe camping trips.
See the map attached for the suggested routes and possibilities for wild camping.
PG and LN decided to start with the smaller but more remote Loch Affric as the weather window looked promising for the first 2 days. The put in required a walk down a private road with trolleys and 4 dogs. The cars remained in the public car park at the end of the road to Loch Affric.
The paddle to the end of the loch was magnificent. The views of the surrounding Munros and forests with old pine trees quite magical. Notice the snow on the high peaks, it was sunny during the day, no midges, but quite cool in the evening, Sunset around 10:30pm.
Back to the cars by 10am and back to the hotel and campsite, planning to do another 2 day canoe trip on the longer long for the following 2 days, the weather wasn’t promising, but the shape of the loch offered some protection from the wind and there were known sheltered campsites. See map below
This was a shorter 2 day paddle, but again very interesting shapes of the islands and shoreline. This loch was made after a dam wall was built and many of the trees that were cut down on the shoreline form triffid like statutes.
After reaching the sandbank at the end of the loch, PG and LN decided to paddle back some of the way and find a campsite as the weather for day 2 looked threatened after 10am, and they wanted to do some of the distance for day 2 and be able to return to their cars before the predicted wind picked up.
The campsite was next to a river on dry (i.e. non boggy) ground with views across Loch Affric.
The next day was calm and clear with reflections in the water of canoes, paddlers, dogs and shoreline rocks.
There are wonderous views wherever you look. And indeed we found a lovely, sheltered campsite
Write up by Lindsey
More pics below
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