Great Glen Canoe Trail

The trip was on. GairLochy to Dargarroch. We arrive to Gairlochy Lockgates around 8pm and found the British Waterways asigned campsite. It would of had a nice view of Ben Nevis if it was not for the mist.

We got up in the morning and were duley told we had get a License from Corpach. 12km back down the road. Mark went off to get them and I set about packing my boat. Terra Nova Laser Comp Tent, Mountain Hardwear Sleeping Bag, Thermarest, Crux Lite Stove as well as my MSR some of the kit list. I was travelling light but we were going to be comfortable for the next three days. I was paddling a North Shore Polar.

Loch Oich Camp Site.

Loch Lochy was first on the list. 17km of it. With now a late start we managed to get to the end by lunch time. Cuppa soups and a couple of sausage rolls and we were reday for the first portage. We carried rather than trolleyed. I wanted to weigh my boat but I reckon it was 35kg.ish. After Laggan Locks you go through the Laggan Avenue to get to Loch Oich. Our first overnight stop was the far end of Loch Oich.

25km done it was time to stop. We scouted the south bank and found a nice flat spot next to the Great Glen Way. A bike trip for another day. The morning saw some amazing early views. Before 7am the Loch was flat calm with mirrored views of the surrounding mountains.

The big push was on for day two. We decided we wanted to get as far up Loch Ness as possible to make for an easy last day. Loch Oich to Fort Augustus was a gentle Canal paddle with a couple of Lock portages. Trolleys worked well. We went for alight weight trolley instead of one of the heavier weight models on the market.

After the longest portage around Fort Augustus locks we were onto Loch Ness. 35km looks a long way away from a 16ft sea kayak. We were blessed with flat calm condidtions and we managed 30km that day. Including the 9km of the canal we had made a fair dent into Loch Ness. Finding a camp spot was hard. The south shore was rocky and steep. We found what was the closest we could find to a camp spot and stopped for the night. That day we had seen Tornados flying low over our heads. A Channock Choppers flew low over the loch when we we having dinner and an RNLI Lifeboat went belting up the Loch before we went to bed. Remote wilderness trip this is not.....

The last day and we had decided we would get up early and make the final 20km ish push and get back to Perth at a reasonable time. We left camp at 7.40am and headed for Urquhart Castle. We had woken to a Southerly wind so with the wind behind us the last leg was going to be easy so long as the wind held......

Urquhart Castle was 3km from the camp spot. Now on the north side of the Loch we skirted Drumnadrochhit and carried on. The kms breezed passed with the wind behind us, until we got near the head of the loch. The winds started to blow round in circles. We had the wind on the back of our necks and we could see a rain shower blowing directly towards us.

We had reached then end!! Just a short couple of kms to get to the take out. Through Loch Dochfourand along the Canal. A great trip. Not wilderness but very nice to get back in a sea kayak after a long break out of a boat. Total distance 75kms Average Speed 5.3kph. Total Hrs paddling 14hrs.