Loch Awe

Earra-Ghàidheal (Argyll) is seen as being one of the key birthplaces of Scotland.

The area we now know as Argyll was once the Kingdom of Dalriada, the home of the Gaels, who lived along the coast and over Loch Awe.

We'll spend our time together paddling through their homeland and looking at the historic venues along the way, with a visit to Dunnadd in Kilmartin Glen to visit the seat of many early Scottish Royals.

Our Wilderness Journeys are primarily holiday trips designed for you to get out and enjoy the Wilderness. However, depending on your trip, you should consider the following:

You should be at ease with spending long periods outside in the elements.

Scotland is renowned for experiencing all four seasons in a single day. However, more often than not, it tends to be cold and damp, so you will need to find contentment in that and consider anything else a bonus.

We use two-person tents to help minimise our environmental footprint. We aim to share tents only with booking parties; however, this is not always possible. If this presents an issue, please get in touch with us to discuss options.

The Loch Awe trip is a Beginner “Green” Trip, meaning we’ll be on the loch, which may include a short time being exposed to the elements.

We’ll also be on sections of beginner rivers with very short sections of moving water.

You don’t need to have done canoeing before, but we will spend up to 5 hours a day on the water, with plenty of opportunities for leg stretches during breaks on land.

We will be navigating in and out of boats to portage on shallow river sections, so we need to be reasonably fit, balanced, and comfortable moving across short sections of uneven terrain.

Remember, you’ll want to cultivate mental space to enjoy the Journey rather than merely survive. If you’re uncertain about your skill level, please email us at hello@cagadventures.com so we can discuss your suitability for this Wilderness Journey.

Our Wilderness Journeys are designed as tandem trips. You can either paddle with the same person each day or swap partners daily.

✓ Highly experienced & qualified coach

✓ Transport from and to the meeting point

✓ PFDs/buoyancy aids, helmets

✓ Canoes & paddles

✓ Waterproof storage, 60ltr barrels per person

✓ Group shelter

✓ First Aid kit

✓ Photos from your adventure

✓ Camping stoves, tea, coffee, etc

✓ Fresh food from first lunch till lunch on the last day

✓ Cutlery, bowls & plates

✓ Shared 2-person tents

✓ Transport from and to the meeting point

✗ Trip Insurance

✗ Personal Expenses

✗ Accommodation

Day 1 - Kilchurn Castle to Black Isles

We will meet in the superb Real Food Cafė at Tyndrum, where we'll go through our equipment before heading off to Kilchurn Castle for a look around the old castle before launching and heading for our camp on the Black Isles.

Day 2 - Black Isles to Innis Chonnell

From our camp on Black Isle, we'll head south down the loch to arrive at Innis Chonnel. En route, we'll stop at the pub at Portsonachan.

Day 3 - Innis Chonnell to Fincharn Castle and onto Kilmartin Glen

Our final day will take us to the end of the loch, where we shall load up after a view around another historic castle before heading to Scotland's birthplace, Kilmartin Glen, a short drive away.

* This is our ideal itinerary; however, it may change as we progress. We will adapt to the weather and select campsites that best suit our daily needs.