[Closed] Great Glen Canoe Trail

I've not done it, but could recommend the alternative me and my mates did, starting at Glenfinnan and canoeing down to Acharacle and then Loch Moidart. There's a pub and shops halfway down as well so you don't need to carry 5 days worth of food + drink. Great wild camping along the way and if the conditions on loch moidart are good (its a sea loch, but sheltered) there's even a stunning we beach at the mouth of the loch, complete with views of Rhum and Skye...

We hired canoes from 'rockhopper' who were really good and seemed quite reasonable. They picked us up at the other end too.

13thfloormonk - Member
Rhum

A group of us done this a few years back, we hired Canadian canoes from somewhere in FW and arranged for the guy we hired them from to pick them up.

Really cant remember many of the details, it was a good laugh and we were far from experienced.

We took tents intending on using them every night but on the first night we stayed in the youth hostel which was near lagoon, but i think this is now closed.

The second night we stayed at a hostel in Fort Augustus and the third night we camped somewhere by the loch side.

We were taking it pretty easy and I think that if you went at it with more conviction than we did it would be doable with two night.

It was good fun and the only annoying thing was having to lift the canoes out of the water and along the towpaths at the locks.

It was good fun

Eh? Is it not Rhum? Why did I think it was, is there a similar spelling somewhere? 😳

There are canoe-friendly pontoons at many of the locks now - and portage trolleys. I think you need a key for the latter.

The Youth Hostel at Laggan (lagoon 🙂 ) is now open again, it's just not SYHA. I stayed there last October on a cycle through from FW to Buckie and it was just fine. It has a small shop so you can likely buy what you need.

R[b]h[/b]um was an affectation by a previous landowner and has long since been corrected. There is no aspirated "R" in gaelic.

Ah, fair enough, I must have some very old maps or something! I was wondering how you would pronounce 'Rh'...

druidh - thanks for the info on the hostel, I remember seeing it was up for sale and had some pie in the sky ideas about buying it and running it. But had been,wrongly told, it was sold to be a house

http://www.greatglenhostel.co.uk/

Tonights trivia: When I was doing my C2C, I stayed in the Laggan Hostel the first night, cycled over the Corrieyairack, and stayed at a B&B in (the other) Laggan the next night 🙂

What does 'Laggan' mean Druidh? We're working on a project called 'Laggan' too...

Lagan is Scots Gaelic for "little hollow".

It take all the mystery away when you translate the names. Everytime I have heard a Gaelic place name translated its always rather dull and prosaic.

Mind yo I can neither pronounce or remember most of the Gaelic ones

If you do it be sure to write about it on here - sounds like a nice trip. May is usually a good month for pleasant weather and no midges (usual caveats apply).

It take all the mystery away when you translate the names. Everytime I have heard a Gaelic place name translated its always rather dull and prosaic.

Mind yo I can neither pronounce or remember most of the Gaelic ones

I agree, but learning to pronounce and translate helps me remember them!

Knowing what they mean can be very handy if you're lost, or looking for water or whatever. Even something as simple as Coire and Lochain would help you out. Knowing that one hill is called [i]big round green hill[/i] and one [i]frakkin' pointy thing[/i] might help if you were disorientated. I wish I'd remembered what Eilean nan Eun was before setting out to camp beside it and all the birds keeping me awake with their racket.

starting at Glenfinnan and canoeing down to Acharacle and then Loch Moidart.

Swine. Spellings had me confused! Thanks!

And apparently grammar and punctuation too. Time I went to sleep.

coffeeking - there's still time to edit that....

😳

Me? disorientated? 😉

maybe I should - never thought of that

Rum is the original spelling.

Rhum is the modified spelling of the Victorian land owner who didn't like the association with the demon drink.

Rum is the original spelling.

Rhum is the modified spelling of the Victorian land owner who didn't like the association with the demon drink.

Good chippy at Acharacle.

druidh - Member
Knowing what they mean can be very handy if you're lost, or looking for water or whatever....

Yeah, a name like Braemore can be a bit of a clue if it's on your route. Even if you don't know its Gaelic original, you'll know exactly what it means when you hit it. 🙂

Wow there was me thinking 23 people had done the trail, but its turned into a (quite interesting) language lesson

We did it last year as part of an organised trip in sea kayaks, If you have the gear it is easy enough providing the weather is OK. I would check the forecast and be prepared to reverse the direction if the wind is coming from the NE. We wild camped close to the Locks which have hot showers and drying facilities - you need to buy a key from British Waterways which I think is also the key for the canoe trolleys for the portage sections.

EV

A couple of friends paddled it last year in sea kayaks, they loved it, stayed with me (central Scotland) on their way back south.

Only issue I remember was that they picked up a few ticks while camping. Worth doing a check each morning... Not sure if May is early enough to avoid the worst of them??

Swine. Spellings had me confused! Thanks!
And apparently grammar and punctuation too. Time I went to sleep.

I'm confused, what did I miss pre-edit? 😀

Hello I'm brand new to this forum, am planning on solo canoeing the Great Glen three of us in mid august. Was wondering if anyone had a number I could call about getting our canoes dropped from finish point back to the start point and roughly what the charge is any advice regarding these points would be marvellous.

You're looking at a 65m trip there, I reckon it'd cost a fair bit.
If youve two cars run a shuttle, or send someone up to inverness with the car before you start to leave it at the end and get the bus back.
Also dont forget that the river Oich makes a nice change from the canal between Aberchalder and Fort Augustus, conveniently bypassing the lochs.

Speak to Donald MacPherson, Explore Highland 0780 8071810 info@explorehighland.com
Can't recall what he charged us it was very reasonable, but we also hired equipment from him
there is another thread I started with some pictures and review of our trip - http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/great-glen-canoe-trail-1

yes did a few up there but it was 10 years ago

some lovely clear water