Torridon & The Edge Of The Highland

Join us for 5 days of coastal and inland loch exploration and skills development in one of Scotlands most stunning locations. Mountains rising out the ground from the sea to the sky, with eagles soaring above and seals gliding around the waters this place holds an incredible abundance of wildlife and epic scenery.

What to expect

This 5 day adventure will be based out of the Mul Mor Bunkhouse just a stones throw from the waters edge of loch Torridon. As you look out the window you will see the famous ridge of Liatach stretching down the glen and the mighty Beinn Alligin towering above. This location is surely one of the highlands most epic, and the perfect place to base ourselves for a multitude of paddling adventures.

Over the week we will be exploring everything from stunning coastlines and sea lochs such as loch Shielding and loch Kishorn, to the beautiful inland lochs and rivers such as loch Marie and the river ewe.

The aim of this adventure is to support you in your paddle development in open water and some moving water, while showing you some of the most beautiful places in Scotland to paddle. This trip will offer a mix of skills, challenges and also chances to relax and enjoy the escape. We hope to leave you feeling inspired and ready to go on more expeditions or day adventures of your own.

In the evenings relax at the bunkhouse by the log fire with a dram knowing that dinner & breakfast are sorted. We will pick up plenty of supplies before we meet you and are able to cater for various dietary requirements (just let us know when booking). On the final night the plan is to book everyone in to a local restaurant for a meal out together (Not included in the price & optional if you would like to cook dinner yourself and relax back at the bunkhouse that is absoltuley ok ). The only thing we need you to plan and bring is lunch’s. We recommend bringing a few days supplies with you and then topping up at the small local village shops which have some basic supplies.

Over the five days we will be looking to support you with and enjoy the following:

• Planning and decision making, looking at wind, tides and waves that make for a good day on the water and ensuring we pick the right journey and venue for you and the team to get the most out of the day.
• Open water skills and tactics to manage yourself and the team while paddling coastal an open water in varying windy conditions up to Force 3/4 & above.
• Traditional canoe skills such as sailing, lining and tracking to utilise the conditions and choose the most efficient ways to move around.
• If conditions allow and groups are motivated we can look at using some of the more gentle grade rivers up to grade 2 to connect some of the lochs together and into the sea.
• Relax and take time to journey and soak up the amazing scenery
• Share knowledge on and spot local wildlife from the sea to the air to the land.

Taking you on this journey are highly experienced and qualified coaches Emy Mcleod of EM Paddlesports and Liam Green head coach at Green Wave Guiding. We will be on hand all week to share there knowledge and passion for open canoeing and cook up some delicious meals for you.

Who is it for?

As we have two coaches for this trip we can cater for a wide range of abilities and goals for people over the trip. We are happy for solo or tandem paddlers to join us on this adventure. We recommend solo paddlers have a minimum of experience and skills to paddle in force 2/3 winds with the ability make headway into force 2 conditions.

Tandem paddlers we recommend you have experience paddling in your pair and can comfortably move the boat in a straight line along with the ability to change direction and steer around simple obstacles.

To give you an idea of skill level check out the Canoe Award as part of the paddle performance range on the paddlesup page – https://britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/wp-content/files/01222018BCABCanoeAwardV1-1Nov21.pdf. If you feel you are close to and you need some support to tidy a few areas or above this standard and looking to progress your skills then this trip is for you.

As part of this trip we can include the Open Water Touring award and also look at where your performance is relative to the open water aspects of the progressive & advanced canoe award.

Provisional Plan for the week:

• Day 1 – Meet for coffee near Kinlochewe at 9am for a meet and greet and to plan our journey and shuttle before we head out on the water to ease into the week. Our first day on the water will be a chance to settle in as a group, warm up and enjoy some beautiful scenery. While we paddle this will also be a chance to establish any goals or aims you have for your week away. once we have finished on the water we will head to the bunkhouse to settle in while Liam & Emy light the fire and prepare dinner. In the evening we will discuss plans and weather (perhaps over a dram) to see where our next days adventure will take us.
• Day 2/3/4 – Breakfast, Coffee, weather check and lunch prep. Plan the shuttle and head out to the water. We aim to be back at the bunk house for around 4 or 5 each day to cook dinner and plan for the next day. Night 4 will be dinner out for those who would like to join. For those who would like to stretch their legs in the evening there are some fantastic local walks not from the bunk house such as the Falls of Balgy and the Shieldiag peninsula. We are also staying close to the water for those brave enough to have a dip on a warm summers evening!
• Day 5 – Breakfast coffee, weather check and lunch prep with a final tidy up and pack up from the bunkhouse before heading out for the day. The plan would be to finish up around 3 o’clock on the Friday to allow folks time to head down the road.

Provisional Meal Plan ( Flexible for dietary requirement)

• Breakfast morning 2-5 – Porridge, Muesli, Fruit, Nuts, Bacon/ Egg Rolls, Coffee & Tea
• Dinner 1 – Chilli Con Carne, Nachos, Guacamole, Sour Cream & Cheese followed by Cheese Cake for Dessert
• Dinner 2 – Thai Chicken/ Veg Curry & Rice followed by Ginger Cake & Custard
• Dinner 3 – Veggie or Meat Sausage Casserole with Mash & Veg followed by Chocolate pudding.
• Dinner 4 – Eat out at local restaurant

Travel

We recommend for folk coming from far away that you spend the night in Inverness the Sunday night before we meet as it is then not to long a drive the Monday morning.

There are options for train and plane also to Inverness but you would need to look at renting a car from here.

Accommodation

We have decided to run this trip from accommodation to add a layer of comfort, relaxation and to escape the midges of Scotland! Mul Mor is a bunk house with 3 bedrooms. 2 rooms with 4 beds and 1 room with 2 beds. Once people have signed up we can arrange the rooms appropriate to the groups needs as much as possible. Guides can sleep in vans outside to accommodate additional flexibility in the accomodation where needed .

There is an excellent drying room, shower facilities, washer dryer, a kitchen and cosy living room with a log fire.

Details and information on the accommodation can be found here – https://www.nts.org.uk/holiday-accommodation/bunkhouses/mol-mor

Equipment & Kit

On this trip people can bring their own canoes and equipment if they want or if they are looking to travel light we have tandem canoes and a few limited solo set up canoes available for use. A part of this package we can also include buoyancy aids, helmets, paddles, downwind sails and small dry bags for folk to bring a spare layer and lunch on the water with them.

You will need to bring the following:

• Sleeping bag and maybe an extra pillow -At the bunkhouse pillows are provided
• Dry trousers & Top or outdoor/sports clothing with waterproof top & bottoms and spares on the water incase you end up getting wet.
• Buoyancy Aid ( if not renting)
• Paddles x 2 if solo per boat or 3 for a tandem boat (If not renting)
• Dry bags for lunch & kit storage in the day (if not renting)
• Bailer / Sponge / Kneel Matt for you canoe (if not renting )
• Air bags / buoyancy blocks for your canoe (if not renting)
• Bow line the length of your canoe / 5m (if not renting)
• Portage trolley (if you have one)
• Enough clothes for 5 days paddling in various conditions – Summer in Scotland by the coast can be anything from 25 degrees and sunshine to 7 degrees and rain.
• Lunch and snacks for 5 days
• Suitable paddle footwear – Paddle boots, Trainers and wetsuit socks, booties with a decent sole. We recommend you have something that provides some cover for your ankles but is not to stiff and also offers protection when walking over uneven and rocky ground.
• Spare footwear for walks and to change into after paddling
• Sunglasses & Suncream
• Cap / Wide rimmed hat / Warm hat for cold days
• Gloves & paddle gloves if you get very cold hands
• Towel for the shower and Swim gear (you might fancy a dip if its warm enough)
• Midge Net & repellent
• Tic Remover – we suggest keeping skin covered and trousers tucked in when wondering through the long grass.
• Any Personal Medication

What’s Included?

• Highly Experienced & knowledgeable Coaching & Guiding
• Accommodation
• 3 nights dinner & 4 Breakfasts
• Canoes & Paddle equipment on request
• We can also offer the Open Water touring award or development towards the progressive & advanced canoe awards.

High quality photos & videos of your trip                                          

What isn’t Included?

• Personal / Trip insurance – Highly recommended
• Transport
• Lunch’s
• 1 Nights dinner at a restaurant
• Clothing for paddling e.g drysuit or waterproofs