Over the past two days, we have been on a canoe and kayaking expedition on Loch Maree - run by
Boots N Paddles. After our
epic day bagging Beinn Eighe on Tuesday, I made the knackered group pack their expedition kit and we split it all between dry bags - ready for the next two days and their final adventures.
We met Mike in a lay-by just further along the road from the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve Trail car park, on the opposite bank to Rubha a' Ghiuthais. We first got the kids organised and packed up with all their kit, stoves and tents. Then we helped to unload all the boats from the trailers. Mike then spoke to the group and outlined the plan for the next two days and spoke a little about the history of the surrounding area; particularly
Letterewe.
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| Getting ready to launch from the shore of Loch Maree with Slioch behind |
We then split the group up into canoeists and kayakers and set about launching ourselves out onto Loch Maree. The shoreline was the perfect put-in spot and we were soon all out on the water. For most of the kids, it was their first time paddling so the first hour was spent learning the beginners strokes and discovering how the crafts could be turned and manoeuvred.
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| Launching into Loch Maree |
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| Paddling on Loch Maree |
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| Paddling on Loch Maree |
The conditions were perfect; completely calm with hardly a breath of wind but not too hot with an overcast sky. We made good progress and stopped for lunch at a small beach just to the Southeast of Letterewe. Over lunch, I had a good chat with Mike and got to know him a little. He had been great with the kids and he seemed extremely experienced on the water. It was interesting to hear about how well his business was doing and what great plans he had for the future. He said that he had been really looking forward to this exped with us: right from the moment he had received the email from me with the idea. I knew that the area was protected because of the
Black-throated Divers that nest on the Islands in Loch Maree. He said that he had been in touch with the National Reserve rangers and he knew what parts of the Islands to stay clear of and where the birds might be nesting.
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| Paddling on Loch Maree below Slioch |
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| Paddling on Loch Maree |
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| Lunch stop on the shore of Loch Maree |
We set off again and headed for
Isle Maree to explore. Mike showed the kids around the ancient chapel and told the story of Queen Victoria coming here to the wish tree - the kids loved it. There was certainly something special about the whole place and I certainly felt privileged to be there.
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| Sloch from Isle Maree, Loch Maree |
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| Wish Tree on Isle Maree, Loch Maree |
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| Wish Tree on Isle Maree, Loch Maree |
Our next mission was to explore the rest of the Islands. I had said to Mike that I had read somewhere that one of the islands, Eilean Sùbhainn, had a small lochan with a small island in it; an island in a loch on an island in a loch! Mike said that he had read the same thing and he too was curious about it. We landed on the West shore of Eilean Sùbhainn and put the kids to task. They made short work of this and a couple of the lads waded in to stand on the island in a loch on the island in a loch - what a crazy sight!
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| Exploring the Islands on Loch Maree |
Next, we had to find a spot to camp for the night. Looking at the map, Mike said it looked like there might be a flat patch of ground between two of the larger islands, on the North side of Eilean Dubh na Sroine. The water level was quite low, due to the recent dry weather, so there was a perfect flat shore for us to settle down for the night.
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| Pitching tents at our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
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| Our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
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| Our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
We unloaded the boats and set about pitching the tents and getting some grub going. It really was an idyllic spot and we were treated to a spectacular sunset.
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| Slioch from our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
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| Slioch from our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
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| Sunset from our camp on Eilean Dubh na Sroine, Loch Maree |
The next morning, after packing up, we swapped the groups over so everyone had a chance to try both canoeing and kayaking. Once again, the first hour was spent going through the basics and playing a few games. Then Mike took us to a sheltered bay at one side of one of the islands where the kids could have a bit of a swim and play around in the water.
Finally we headed to the shore and landed at the car park at Slattadale and helped to load up the trailers with the boats. The weather had been perfect and the exped had been a complete success. We were all very happy with how it went and it was an amazing final adventure for the GWC Torridon Project 2010.
