Loch Awe Learning Journey

We’ll spend three exciting days together, journeying along one of Scotland's best-kept secrets, using a wide range of skills that take us beyond standard paddling.

Our team will work with you to develop your traditional canoe skills in a real-world environment where the use of these trad skills will greatly benefit your enjoyment and experience.

This trip involves spending some time on the Rivers Orchy & Awe as well as spending a day on Loch Awe. 

The loch is full of history and is littered with small islands and crannog sites. We'll likely spend both nights camping on some of these islands. 

The decision to paddle the rivers is one we'll make as a team, the Orchy is mainly grade 1 with a couple of grade 2 whereas the Awe is grade 2 with some grade 3.

Our team will guide and support you during the trip, ensuring an awesome experience.

During the trip, if you want, you’ll gain your British Canoeing Multi-Day Touring, Open Water Touring and Canoe awards, as well as gain lots of valuable experience which will help you on your pathway to both Open Water and White Water Open Canoe (and even advanced) Leader awards.

Learning Journeys made easy!

We know you don't want to worry about logistics when you're on a trip, so we've covered everything! 

Where there's a shuttle needed we'll take care of it, and when it comes to food we have a mouth-watering menu put together, so all you have to worry about is enjoying it. 

Our fleet of Hōu Canoes Prospectors is available for you to use, if you have your boat feel free to bring it along and we'll discount your trip appropriately.

During most of our trips, there are opportunities to gain your British Canoeing Multi-Day Touring, Open Water Touring or Canoe Progressive award, (for a small additional cost). 

Do you need to be a pro boater?

No, it’s called a Learning Journey because learning is a big part of our trip. So what level do you need to be?

Living in the outdoors?

Firstly you’ll need to be comfortable spending time out in the elements.

Scotland is famous for being able to have all seasons in one day, but more often than not it's cold and damp, so you’ll need to be content spending time in that and taking anything else as a bonus. 

Padding skill?

We’ll be on the loch and the river (where we will be paddling class/grade 1/2, and working through bigger stuff) so having spent some time in those environments before that would be great, as it’s always nice to be able to have brain space for learning and not just surviving!

Solo vs tandem?

It doesn’t matter, but if you want to be tandem you may need to bring a friend!

It’s nice to have a mix on big trips as it gives people the chance to explore both options, so we may jump around during our trip.

Not too much but not too little!?

It’s always a real challenge when packing for expeditions to decide what is needed and what is unnecessary, on this trip, we’re going to take care of the food, but you may still want to bring some snacks and extras.

We’re big fans of keeping our kit fairly light as if we have to portage the lighter the kit the easier the task, so let us break it down then.

Check out our full Kit List here.

Day 1 - River Orchy to Loch Awe

Day 2 - Loch Awe

Day 3 - Loch Awe to River Awe (depending on group)

*This is our ideal itinerary however it may change when we're on the go as we'll work with the weather and pick campsites best suited to us on each day.