Canoe Wilderness Scotland

Canoe Expedition & Coastal Foraging

LOCATION

Scotland's West Coast

PLACES

2024 DATES

9 - 14

September

PRICE

£345

BOOK

HERE

Scotland's lochs, rivers and coastline offer a true wilderness paddling experience. Join us for a 6-day wilderness canoe expedition into the heart of Scotland's breathtaking west coast.

Much more than your average canoeing trip, this exciting collaboration sees us team up with our friends at Howl Bushcraft to offer a chance to explore this stunning area by canoe and learn a wealth of bushcraft skills and coastal foraging techniques from instructors with over 30 years of combined canoeing and bushcraft experience.

The Canoe Trip

Our journey starts at the head of Loch Shiel, a truly wild loch, surrounded by majestic mountains. We paddle south west on our route to the sea spending 3 days exploring this rugged landscape and learning bushcraft skills which make canoe tripping here possible. The loch is a perfect place to brush up on paddling skills and there will be ample time for us to coach you in expedition canoeing skills including poling, lining and tracking as we spend a day exploring an exciting side trip.

Loch Moidart and the rugged coastline on the north cost of Ardnamurchan is a wilderness canoe trippers paradise.

As we near the western end of the loch, the water quickens as we pick up the current of the River Shiel and run this short river out to salt water and the spectacular rugged coast line of loch Moidart. A whole new playground awaits as we spend 3 days exploring the coastal foraging and wildlife opportunities that this area has to offer. Camping on the beaches and coves in this area is a magical experience. Days will be spent gathering shellfish, seaweeds and fungi as well as fishing using a variety of methods. You'll also learn how to prepare and cook this coastal bounty using exciting wilderness cookery techniques and primitive methods.

The Best Way To See Scottish Wildlife Is From A Canoe

The whole area is a wildlife haven and the canoe is the perfect way to get close to some of Scotland's most iconic species; otters, pine marten, scottish wild cats, red deer, foxes and badgers all live here as well as hundreds of bird species including both species of divers, ospreys, sea and golden eagles and all the major groups of woodland and coastal birds native to Scotland. Certified 'Track & Sign Specialist' Steven Hanton will be your guide to the plethora of tracks and signs that we find along the way which adds a richness to the experience and allows you to really understand the place.

Canoe Expedition Syllabus

Canoeing Skills

Canoe trip planning
Loading a canoe & gear shakedown
Flat water paddling skills; strokes and trim
Moving water skills; strokes, route choice, ferry gliding & breaking in/out of the current
Rescue techniques for flat and moving water.
Expedition canoe skills; poling, snubbing, lining, tracking & portaging
Canoeing at the coast; understanding tides and other considerations

Bushcraft & Coastal Foraging

Firelighting masterclass
Tree and plant ID & edible, medicinal and utilitarian uses.
Fungi; identify edible and poisonous species and how to cook
Seaweed; identify, collect and cook edible species.
Shellfish gathering; how to stay safe & check for edibility
Coastal fishing techniques; long lines & rod and line
Cookery techniques; preparing and smoking fish, reflector oven cookery, trail breads, steaming shellfish.
Wildlife tracking; identify animal tracks and signs.

Canoe with two people in it canoeing in Scotland

Launching a canoe from a beach in Scotland

Group of people preparing to go canoeing on Loch Shiel in Scotland

A wood and canvas canoes floating on a river in Scotland

Lining a canoe which is an important canoe skill

People launching a canoe on a loch in Scotland

Canoe on a beach in the sunset in the UK

Sawing wood for the fire on a canoe trip

Mug hanging from a tree on a canoeing expedition

Cooking bannock bread on the fire on a canoe trip

LOCATION

Scotland's

West Coast

DATES

9 - 14 September

2024

PRICE

£850

PLACES

BOOK THIS EXPEDITION

We start the trip at the head of Loch Shiel and paddle west, exploring Loch Moidart and ending up on the north coast of Ardnamurhcan.

EQUIPMENT WE'LL BE PROVIDING:

(If you have your own of any of the following and would like to bring it please feel free)

Personal floatation device
2 Paddles per person
Helmet
Canoes
Cooking equipment
Water filters
Group shelter

KIT YOU NEED TO BRING:

You are limited to one day-pack per person no bigger than 45 liters, with extra kit stored in a portage pack or barrel no bigger than 50 litres. This is to ensure we have nice, balanced boats and space to be comfortable as we travel.

Personal kit should be packed into durable dry-bags (Ortlieb or Exped make good ones), vital items to be double bagged i.e. sleeping gear, dry clothes.

DAY PACK

Items to be kept in a small rucksack, the idea is this pack will contain anything you might need during the day without you having to open your overnight gear pack whilst travelling. On ordinary rucksack is fine for this.

Brew kit- mug, spoon, tea/coffee/hot chocolate etc (a small camping stove is a useful extra)
Waterproofs: jacket and trousers
Head-torch and spare batteries
Water bottle
Wooly Hat
Flask for hot water/ hot drink
Small First aid kit- plasters, painkillers, steri-wipes etc (should fit in a trouser pocket).
Toilet kit- tissues, hand sanitizer, lighter, wet-wipes
Sun-cream and insect repellent - Smidge or something with deet in it works.
Sunglasses
Midge head net - The ones by Smidge are good - most others have mesh sizes too large.
DITCH KIT (inside its own dedicated dry bag within your day pack)
- Good warm thick jacket/fleece
- Thick woolly hat
- Warm gloves
  Warm Buff/ scarf
- Good thermal base-layer top
- Chocolate bar
- Silver space blanket

MAIN PACK

This kit should be stowed in a portage pack or plastic barrel.

Warm Sleeping bag-in its own dry bag
Sleeping mat
Tent
A full set of warm, dry clothes for the end of the day.
Waterproof socks/ warm socks
Camp shoes ( old trainers or lightweight boots area ideal)
Wash kit: toothbrush/paste, soap, small towel as minimum
Spectacles/contact lenses/spares
Plate/bowl and eating utensils
One luxury item-a book, MP3 player, etc

OTHER KIT

Knee Protection - canoe kneeling pad or soft, comfortable knee pads.
Waterproof whistle to be carried on your person.
A stainless steel fixed blade knife - Mora knives are perfect.
Canoeing footwear that will get wet - old trainers are fine, some folks like neoprene booties.

Travel and arrival - Detailed joining instructions will be sent out to you well in advance of the expedition.
Accommodation - All canoe camping. You will need to bring your own tent/tarp/basha as per the kit list.
Food and Drink - This expedition is fully catered. Food will be typical canoe camping fayre. We take our catering seriously and we aim to make the food one of the highlights of the trip. We can cater to vegetarians and some medical intolerances but vegans and more unusual food requirements can be tricky when group cooking. We are always happy to chat about this before booking.
Weather/conditions - Scotland in September can be changeable, please make sure you read the kit list thoroughly.
Age requirements - 18+.
Fitness/ability - You need a basic level of fitness to attend this expedition. No previous canoeing experience is necessary, although you may get more from the course if you have completed a taster session. We suggest that being able to walk 3km at least each day is a good minimum bench mark. Some days we will be paddling 10km or so, which while not particularly strenuous, can make some muscles ache a bit if not conditioned. We want you to enjoy the expedition so please contact us with any questions on this.
Payment - To book we will take a £200 non returnable deposit with the balance due 8 weeks before the expedition start date. See our full Terms and Conditions.
Insurance - We have comprehensive liability insurance and risk assessments, but we suggest that you have your own insurance policy that covers your kit and yourself.
First Aid/Medical - The leaders are experienced in remote first aid and are trained to First Response Emergency Care level 4 (Ambulance ECA). We will carry a comprehensive expedition first aid kit and Garmin Inreach device for emergencies. Please bring with you plenty of any required personal medication.
Toilets - On expedition, toilets will consist of a spade and a walk a good distance from camp.

What happens if I'm late for a course? Please keep us informed on your journey if you are going to be late. Due to the nature of the trip, we can not wait to long before launching.

Where do I park and is it safe? Full joining instructions will be sent out before the expedition.

Do you allow dogs? I'm afraid not. In our experience dogs are very hard to manage around our kitchen and food so unfortunately we have a no dog policy.

Is there phone signal? It will be patchy.

Do most people come on their own? Yes they do, and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and like-minded people. We also have many people that choose to come with a friend or family member who also wants to have an awesome time.

Do I need prior experience? Not at all. We will be covering all canoeing tuition on the first 2 days. Previous canoeing experience is a bonus however.

Are there any hazards or risks I should be aware of? There's no such thing as completely risk-free outdoor activities. Your course leaders have 20 years of experience in bushcraft and canoeing so rest assured the risks have been carefully assessed and mitigated as best as is possible. You are in good hands and a full safety brief will be given were required. That said, canoeing on big lochs and on moving water has inherent risks and so you must be made aware of these.

There are ticks present in the woods (like almost all UK woodlands which have a deer population) but you will receive a brief and the risks from Lyme disease are minimal.

Are there midges? Midges are present but by September the worst of them should be over. They can be a nuisance on still, muggy overcast days but while on the water we will have little trouble.

What is your cancellation policy? Full terms and conditions are available here but basically;

You'll get a 100% refund if we cancel the course (almost never for weather, sometimes if there are not enough bookings but 8 weeks in advance of the course)
If you have to cancel then we will always try to refill the course place, and if we can we will refund you in full.
Full course fee is due 8 weeks before course
- If you cancel 4 - 8 weeks before the course you are liable for 50% of the course fee.
- If you cancel less than 4 weeks before the course then you are liable for 100% of the course fee
- This is due to the fact that courses involve a large amount of planning and expense in advance.
- Sometimes we can transfer you to another course if there is availability.

DAY 1 - Launch at Glenfinnan onto Loch Shiel, flat water paddling skills, camp Loch Shiel

DAY 2 - Expedition canoe skills; poling, snubbing, lining, tracking. Camp at secret Lochan!

DAY 3 - Moving water canoe skills; strokes, breaking in/out, ferry gliding. Camp Loch Moidart

DAY 4 - Tidal canoeing, coastal fishing & bushcraft. Camp Ardnamurchan coastline

DAY 5 - Coastal foraging & bushcraft; seaweeds, fungi and shellfish. Camp Ardnamurchan coastline

DAY 6 - Coastal canoeing, bushcraft & animal tracking. Late afternoon take out at cars.

Canoe Wilderness Scotland

Canoe Expedition & Coastal Foraging

The Canoe Trip

The Best Way To See Scottish Wildlife Is From A Canoe

Canoe Expedition Syllabus

Canoeing Skills​ ​

Canoe trip planning

Loading a canoe & gear shakedown

Flat water paddling skills; strokes and trim

Moving water skills; strokes, route choice, ferry gliding & breaking in/out of the current

Rescue techniques for flat and moving water.

Expedition canoe skills; poling, snubbing, lining, tracking & portaging

Canoeing at the coast; understanding tides and other considerations

Bushcraft & Coastal Foraging​

​Firelighting masterclass

Tree and plant ID & edible, medicinal and utilitarian uses.

Fungi; identify edible and poisonous species and how to cook

Seaweed; identify, collect and cook edible species.

Shellfish gathering; how to stay safe & check for edibility

Coastal fishing techniques; long lines & rod and line

Cookery techniques; preparing and smoking fish, reflector oven cookery, trail breads, steaming shellfish.

Wildlife tracking; identify animal tracks and signs.

LOCATION

DATES

PRICE

PLACES

Canoeing Skills

Bushcraft & Coastal Foraging

Firelighting masterclass