I have experienced Scotland in many ways. As a student in Edinburgh shortly after the Brexit decision, I spent my time writing essays in the many libraries and cafés, hanging out in lively pubs, and embarking on numerous road trips through the scenic Scottish Highlands, with the ever-changing weather always adding a sense of mysticism. After a grand, almost royal graduation ceremony (they do indeed love their pomp over there), I went trekking along the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William.
Years later, with more wilderness experience and a bit of kayaking skills (thanks to Liam!), we set out to explore this special part of the world from a new angle, mentally gearing up for our big kayaking trip in spring 2024.
Initially, we considered kayaking around the Isle of Mull, but concerns about it being too exposed to wind and waves, especially for our friends' first sea kayaking experience and our short timeframe, led us to choose a shorter route with more flexibility to adjust for weather. It's common for kayak tour operators in the region to finalize their routes only a few days before departure due to weather dependency. 🏴
During our research, we were in touch with Stuart from Rockhopper Sea Kayaking in Fort William. He not only rented us the equipment and shuttled us to and from our start and end points but also provided expert advice before and during the trip.
Our chosen route began in Glenfinnan on the picturesque Loch Shiel and ended as far as Mallaig, but we would have the option to be picked up before that if needed. We ended up only going to Arisaig.
Arriving in Glenfinnan - the beginning
While a train connection from Edinburgh to Fort William exists, we chose the Citylink bus for its low price and comparable speed. After about five hours, including a change in Glasgow, we reached Fort William. 🚌
Our bags were packed with gourmet treats, as we tend to put more planning and effort into cooking in the wilderness than at home. For the first night, we had booked a campsite at Ben Nevis Holiday Park. We set up our tents in the rain and cooked our first meal together. ⛺️
To avoid lugging our heavy bags (due to all that gourmet food) to the bus stop again, the next morning, we opted for a 5 km taxi ride to Corpach, where Rockhopper is located.
At Rockhopper's storage facility, Stuart discussed route options with us, and we went over potential campsites, maps, wind and weather forecasts Then he drove us about 20 km to Glenfinnan in his big kayak delivery van. Our kayaking adventure began on Loch Shiel, a 28 km long lake connected to the sea by the brief Shiel river.
As we started paddling, we were lucky enough to see the Jacobite steam train (akin to the Hogwarts Express) crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct – a bridge well-known to Harry Potter fans. For those of us enchanted by Hogwarts, Loch Shiel itself held special significance as the fictional location of the school. ⚡️
First night - Loch Shiel
Campsite: (56.762581, -5.650063), distance: 18 km
The conditions were ideal – overcast yet warm, glassy water, and intermittent light rain. We were alone on the water, and the only other soul we spotted was a truck driving along a gravel road somewhere on the left bank probably heading towards one of the fish farms. We enjoyed the silence broken only by the splash of our paddles and occasional bird songs. ☮️
Second night - Eilean Shona Island
Campsite: (56.792246, -5.884701), distance: 22 km
The next day greeted us with rain, making the warm Cullen Skink soup for lunch in the Acharacle café all the more welcoming, even though it felt funny to be eating in a café on a 'wilderness' trip. After warming up, we paddled down the Shiel River, beneath old stone bridges, and startled fishermen. The river is mostly mellow, but at its end, depending on the tide, there's a rapid that can go up to class 3 when the drop is large enough. If necessary, it's possible to portage around this rapid via a path on the left bank. We timed our passage just after high tide so that we only saw minimal current. Nevertheless, we landed and scouted the rapid from land to make sure we could navigate it easily, having seen photos of an overturned canoe in the rapid during our research. 🌊
We passed Tioram Castle, and reached our prospective campsite at the opening of Loch Moidart and were awestruck by the spectacular white sand beach. A group of five deer watched us from a hill as we set up our camp and enjoyed the sunset. 🌅
Third night - next to Peanmeanach Beach
Campsite: (56.859430, -5.762371), distance: 21 km
The following morning, under blue skies, we decided against paddling directly north along the open coast, opting instead for a detour. We headed back into the bay and carried our kayaks across an isthmus to the other side of Eilean Shona Island just north of Tioram Castle. Then we paddled in the more protected North arm of Loch Moidart. The journey became rougher as we reached the open sea and got some swell, but the smaller islands offered some shelter. We stopped at a small island for lunch in Samalaman Bay and enjoyed some sun before heading for a small beach west of Peanmeanach Beach, which has a fresh water source and a rentable bothy. ☀️
Forth night - near Port nam Murrach
Campsite: (56.887540, -5.908520), distance: 16 km
The next morning was windy. Our friends chose not to continue the trip, so we crossed back across the bay, facing strong headwinds. We left our friends in Roshven, where there was road access and they could be easily picked up the next day. We can certainly say they ended up having a far more comfortable day and night than us. When they asked two villagers if they could pitch their tent in a field for the night, they got to experience Scottish hospitality at its finest, being promptly invited to stay for free in one of the holiday cottages, getting to try home-smoked lobster and salmon, and later being invited to the local pub. They must have looked quite exhausted. 😉
Meanwhile, Liam and I braved the wind and waves, and sped across Loch Ailort and Loch Nan Uamh with the wind at our backs, twice as fast as we could manage unaided. The paddling became more challenging when we turned perpendicular to the wind after crossing, and all the while the waves grew larger, making the paddling more technically challenging. There was no time to pause; we just wanted to get to Port Nam Murrach beach as quickly as possible where we could get around a corner and into more sheltered water. Eventually, the waves got to the point where they were consistently too high for my liking, and I realized I was out of my comfort zone when a big one started to break on me. I clung to Liam's kayak to remain stable, as he navigated us to the next bay, which luckily wasn't that far away. Two sheep greeted us there, I sat down in the sand, looked back at the water while I bit into a crunchy apple and was glad to be on land. 🍎
Liam also found the conditions challenging and didn’t want to keep paddling as they worsened, but he was determined to get the kayaks to the next bay which had road access and from which we could conceivably get picked up. While I hiked along the coast, Liam tried lining the kayaks, but quickly gave up and just towed mine.
The bay we arrived at was marshy and lacked any suitable tent spot. We also had no reception to work out a plan for the next day or to discuss our pickup with Stuart. Passing through a gate, we followed a sheep trail and carried our kayaks and all our gear 500 meters up a hill. Amidst rain and strong wind, we found a pasture in which to set up our tent that we shared with a curious flock of sheep and two horses indifferent to our arrival. 🐑🐑
We managed to call Stuart to plan the rendezvous for the next day, ate our lunch, dinner, and snacks all at once, and it was so windy that night that we had to hold up our tent poles to keep the tent from collapsing on us. 🌬️
Last day - Bay of Arisaig
Distance: 3 km
The final day brought new hope. We had 800 more meters across the headland to carry our kayaks, plethora of small drybags and all the other gear we didn’t pack with portaging in mind (thankfully this time downhill). On the other side though, we could launch into the water again, without having to face the open sea that was still wild from the gales the night before and full of whitecaps. We were eager to get back on the water, even if only briefly, and hoped to spot some seals in the Bay of Arisaig. We opted not to paddle into the town of Arisaig because the end of the loch becomes a giant mud flat at low tide. We were rewarded with some seal sightings before spotting the Rockhopper van arrive. 🦭
The Scottish nature overwhelmed us; it was incredibly beautiful to be in the wilderness, bathing in the sea, warming up by the fire, and preparing delicious meals on the camping stove. I definitely learned that if the wind and waves are too much, it's always a much better idea to go ashore and wait out the weather rather than trying forcing our way through. This patience will be even more feasible on a longer trip compared to a 5-day trip. We're definitely excited for our next kayaking adventure! 🇮🇩 🌴