Canoeing The Great Glen

A good place to start when planning your trip along the Great Glen would be to do a little bit of research about what you are actually getting involved in, what your options are, what kind of water and paddling conditions to expect and then to have a self check against your own ability.

We speak to a lot of people every season, some with none or very little canoeing experience or many that have done a few days here and there in very sheltered water. Although the trail is an inland waterway with some sections of very sheltered canal, only 22 miles of the Caledonian Canal are man-made canal with the remainder crossing four lochs including Loch Lochy (12 miles) and Loch Ness (22 miles). Even though the lochs are inshore, they are classed as open water by the Coastguard. Waves of over three meters in height have been recorded at the end of Loch Ness, and it has its very own lifeboat.

Scottish Canals have a very useful information page on there website which will help you to plan your trip and

There is also free downloadable Canoe Trail Guide Map which is designed to complement the use of Ordnance Survey Landranger maps, not replace them. Safety information and emergency contact details are highlighted on the Trail Guide Map for your convenience.

Once You’ve Decided To Take on the Trip

There will be a number of factors to consider. These include:

• the type of craft (Open canoe, sea kayak, or touring kayak) Please use this link for our canoe and kayak hire information
• group size (safety in numbers/ size of group for wild camping)
• experience in the group (ability of paddlers including rescue skills)
• guided or self-guided
• trip registration with Scottish Canals
• duration of Trail visit (have you allowed enough time to cover weather delays?)
• food planning (buying food on the Trail will help reduce portage weight – see Food & Drink and Other Services Section further on)
• setting dates (remember to register your trip 5 working days in advance)
• insurance (do you have canoe/paddler insurance?)

Simple rules to follow on the Trail.

On The Canal

• Look out for and use the Canoe Trail pontoons
• Paddle on the right-hand side
• Give way to other traffic – canoes are more manoeuvrable than yachts or cruisers
• Be alert, make yourself and your canoe visible to approaching craft – wear bright colors and don’t paddle at night or in poor visibility
• Watch out for wake caused by larger boats
• Do not canoe sail on the man-made canal sections
• Do not swim in the canal, no matter how tempting it may appear
• Biosecurity

Remember the canal is home to two fleets of holiday hire cruisers. These are often skippered by novice boaters, and you should expect the unexpected when paddling near them.

On the Lochs

• Open water paddling is not for novices – get appropriate training or join a guided expedition
• Ensure you have the latest weather forecast – pay particular attention to the wind strength and direction
• Wear appropriate clothing for the weather conditions
• Stay alert and be visible to other boaters – fast RIBS operate on Loch Ness, so make sure you can easily be seen
• Choose a shore to paddle along and stick to it. Take OS maps for details of loch-side road access & village facilities
• Be aware that the water in lochs Ness and Lochy is very cold – often only 4C
• Stay together as a group and look out for each other
• Be prepared to take shelter should the weather change – build extra time into your schedule to allow for this
• Paddlers of open boats should generally avoid being on the lochs when there are breaking waves – we strongly advise against the use of inflatable boats and sit-on-tops by inexperienced paddlers
• Be very careful around water outlets and intakes of power stations and weirs along the lochs. Avoid them where possible
• In the event of an emergency on the water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

Always wear a personal buoyancy aid when on the water. It is useful to also have a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch on your person or in your buoyancy aid should you fall out of your boat and need to summon assistance. (Reception can be patchy in some areas of the Trail). Have a contact ashore whom you call each day to let them know when you’re launching and then again when you’re safely ashore.

If you would like any more information on the trip or would like to hire boats, please give us a call or email after looking at our canoe hire page.