We ran a kayaking holiday last weekend with one day sea kayaking and one day river kayaking. This is definitely one of the best ways to see the area, giving a different view of the landscape and the chance to see the wildlife from a different angle. The first day started with sea kayaking. The group was taken to Shieldaig bay, near Gairloch, where they got used to the boats before Chris took them out into Loch Gairloch. As they entered the loch, a rolling swell started to pick up giving the kayakers a different idea of what the sea can be like. Once they got further round, Chris found a fantastic secluded bay for an idyllic spot for lunch. After lunch the group was introduced to some new skills; how to move the boat, how the skeg works and which positions it should be in. During this training a seal started trailing them but disappeared before Chris had his camera out.
The following day Chris took the group out river kayaking on the Achnasheen. This is a nice fun river without being too difficult and demanding and they had perfect water conditions to run it. As well as great water levels, the group had a fantastic rainbow over them all the way down the river. The trip was great fun with all the rapids navigated successfully bar one, where one member caught an edge and went over, coming up wet but happy. The trip was magnificently rounded off by the sight of herd of deer appearing as we rounded a bend.
Over all, the kayaking holiday was a great success with fantastic views, great wildlife spotting opportunities and good fun conditions for both sea and river trips.