River Tay Sup 5 Day Descent

Our SUP descent journey begins at the West end of Loch Tay at the picturesque village of Killin, famous for the Falls of Dochart which flow through the village into Loch Tay. We hope to take advantage of Scotland’s dominant westerly winds to enable us to paddle down the loch beneath the mighty Ben Lawers, towering some 1200 meters above us (if we end up with an Easterly it may be that we start part way down the Loch instead and we can decide this upon meeting in the morning). We will make camp on the lovely island, opposite the Crannog, of Eilean nam Ban-naomh, ‘Isle of Holy Women’ with its 12th century remains of a nunnery and castle.

A day steeped in history. Continuing down the river Tay on SUP we soon come upon Chinese falls – a fun grade 2/3 rapid. Beyond here we pass Taymouth castle built in 1862. The next few miles contain some fun minor rapids before reaching Aberfeldy where we can stop for a coffee on route if people wish. Here we paddle under Wade’s bridge, built by General Wade in 1733, to help connect his military road network used to suppress the Scots.

Beyond Aberfeldy we come to the best section of the river for white water; there are many grade 2 rapids before reaching the grade 3 Grandtully rapid which can be easily portaged if required (this is the norm here as paddling grade 3 on a SUP is very full on). We will camp here for the night at the SCA campsite. If we reach Grantully in time the world renown highland chocolatier and the local inns are worth a visit (the chocolate Truffles are to die for and voted the best in the world!).

You will have the chance this morning to run the Grandtully rapid one more time (if deemed appropriate by your instructor) before heading off towards Dunkeld. The next section is quieter with occasional gentle rapids as the valley floor widens and the river merges with the River Tummel. We soon reach the historic town of Dunkeld where we will camp tonight beneath the Birnam Oak. The streets around the cathedral is where the battle of Dunkeld took place in 1689 between the Jacobites and a government regiment of Covenanters.

Today we travel through the farmlands and forests of the Tay valley but before heading off we will take a short walk to the Hermitage and the Falls of Braan if people wish to. This forest is home to Britain’s tallest trees – these mighty Douglas Firs stand over 200 feet high and are protected by the National Trust for Scotland. We will make camp at a convenient site near Campsie Linn.

Our final day and another day of diversity. This section flows through stretches of steep tree-lined banks – the next 8 miles contains a succession of fun grade 2 rapids – a great experience on our last day. The final few miles to Perth flow gently into where this mighty river system meets the North Sea. We will finish in the centre of Perth.

We pride ourselves on providing as much kit as possible for you.  However, the list below is what we recommend you should bring to your 5 day Tay Descent SUP Expedition Journey:

• Something to go underneath a wetsuit – swimwear or a spare pair of underwear. (We do provide swimshorts to wear over the top of the wetsuit for greater style and modesty.)
• Travel insurance. (We are insured for all our trips, but we recommend everyone has their own travel insurance as well.)
• Transportation to the venue. (We may be able to help with this though – if you need transportation please drop us an enquiry and we can see what we can do to help.)
• Lunch, water.
• Personal medication
• Sun cream, midge net
• Tent
• Roll Mat & Sleeping Bag
• Food
• Stove, Gas, Cutlery
• Headtorch
• Warm layers and spare clothing

Here at Highland Outdoor Adventures, we pride ourselves on providing as much as we can but you are welcome to bring your own equipment if you do prefer. The list below is what we provide you with on the day.

• Hala SUP’s -The world’s best Stand up Paddleboards – perfect for our 5 day Tay Descent SUP Expedition.
• Paddles.
• Wetsuits
• Buoyancy aids.
• Helmets.
• SUP leashes on a quick release belt.
• Neoprene wetsuit boots.
• Swimshorts to go over the top of wetsuits.
• Dry bags so you can bring equipment you might want along with you.
• All instruction.
• All first aid and safety equipment.
• Photographs of the trip provided for you at no extra cost! If the weather is good we will have a DSLR professional camera and maybe even a drone, so we can take photos and videos of your adventure and you can look back at the day for years to come. If the weather is less favourable we will bring a GoPro (as it is waterproof) so we will still be able to take photos for you.
• Fully certified instructors who are the best in the country on a SUP