Canoeing Across Scotland: The Great Glen, A Dad, Daughter and Dog Adventure. Day 1

Canoeing the Great Glen and Caledonian Canal in Scotland.
With my daughter Maya and Billie the dog.
Day 1 Launch, canal and Loch Lochy wild camp.
The trip is some 97km or 60 miles. This time were were to spend three and a half days doing the trip. Normally when I guide it I allow five days. Paddling tandem I have paddled it in a single day (tandem with Chris Charlton).
Day 2 is at: • Canoeing Across Scotla...
The canal website is: www.scottishcanals.co.uk/cana...
We had paid for a facilities key from the canal office at Corpach. Payment is per person not per key although they took one look at Maya and only charged me for one. Please don’t abuse this and pay for one when you are a group. The facilities are good and have to be financed. There are few places that go out of the way to welcome us as paddlers.
If you enjoyed this then consider supporting the channel by making a small donation at: www.buymeacoffee.com/RayGoodwin
My paddle is the WW Big Dipper and Maya is using the WW Dipper by freebirdpaddles.co.uk
PFD and Gear by www.nrs.com
My website: www.RayGoodwin.com
Signed copies of my illustrated book 'Canoeing', are available direct from me or from Amazon. It covers far more than my KZbin channel.
Outside of the UK the cheapest way to get my book is via the Book Depository which does free postage worldwide: www.bookdepository.com/Canoei...

[@user-ku7dg4wq8g]

An example to follow. Thank you from Russia!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you too!

[@brianj9635]

Time well spent Ray - thank you for sharing it with us . your book is on my 'to me' Christmas list 'from me' so I'm pretty sure I'm getting it!! with respect from Central Alberta - BrianJ

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you enjoyed it. Part 2 out next week. Best way to get my book, in North America, is via the book depository. www.bookdepository.com/Canoeing---Ray-Goodwin/9781906095543

[@brianj9635]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe will do sir - thank you.

[@leonardo4012]

Ok I see part two of the video and Bella has on her life jacket now…… and again I love all your videos!!!!!!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you. Billie is a good swimmer, like many dogs. So on easy waters I tend not to put his buoyancy aid on unless it is cold. In rapids or on lakes when it is rough it’s BA on. He is great company and so well behaved. Thank you for your support

[@ellon118]

Another great video Ray, Maya adds a great dynamic to the videos. Very entertaining.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you enjoyed it. Yep I really enjoyed doing that with Maya. Bless her.

[@desmondbroad1305]

Fantastic trip 😍😁👍

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you 👍 Yep I done it quite a few times but always enjoy it (PS I have packed it in on one occasion due to appalling winds).

[@johnnyyukon7887]

Well done, and hello from the Yukon

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It is a great trip (in good conditions). I will, hopefully, get Maya out to the Yukon one day. Done it myself along with the Big Salmon and it would be a delight to do it with her.

[@tapaolo]

Wonderful!!!!Thank you Ray

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

You are most welcome

[@9murlon]

A lovely trip for happy memories 🙂

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It was wonderful. A real highlight of the summer for both of us

[@twostroke350]

Some pretty committed sailing there. We had similar winds when my wife and I did Loch Sheil but called an early camp on the second day when I saw 12kph on my GPS with the sail down (mast still up)! I'd taken an expedition leeboard with me too and found it really helped stabilise a heavily laden boat even with the downwind sailing and paddling and you could set it to correct for the wind direction.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep it got a little stronger than I would like seeing we were on our own. But once we were running along the shore of Lochy I had no real concern. Yep sometimes an early camp, or not even getting started, is the wisest option. Thanks for commenting.

[@tonywrobleski5185]

Thanks

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Welcome

[@kevinbungles]

Brilliant Ray, I have done that twice now, I am planning next September this time with the dog. The campsites and facilities are excellent

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It is, nearly, always a pleasure to paddle the Great Glen. I may pop up and do it solo next year.

[@kevinbungles]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe excellent, you never know I may see you there. September I'm planning

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

I always enjoy watching you sail your canoe.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thanks 😊

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I really enjoyed that Ray! Takes me back to adventures I had with my daughter many moons ago and also to my trip along the Grest Glen last year - such a beautiful place - wish we’d got out on the right at Gairlochy - the left hand portage and re-entry is a right pain! 😂 looking forward to part 2!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Very much appreciated. Thank you. Part two out this evening (15 Nov '22)

[@duncanbrown7160]

Wonderful trip and lovely Maya is now becoming your camera person. Hope she is charging you. Looking forward to day 2!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Maya is costing me enough without charging for camera work! Don’t give her ideas. 🤣

[@chrismcelvar5654]

Great video!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@anhatur]

I liked Mayas "you're not going to kill me, aren't you dad?" comment, as she clearly seems to know her limits. And it sometimes takes a slightly crazy person to get really good, so perhaps both, but at least that's not boring. You can't have them all anyways, so why not really?

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep. The sailing was quite scary for her at times but I try hard not to make it too much for her. Also your are right I have, without Maya, done some truly big sailing stuff in canoe so hopefully I know my limit when I am with her. Many thanks, Ray

[@joelprescott9257]

Great weather and timed for no midges?!! 😅

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

You got that right! You can get a few at that time in August but the fresh winds kept them at bay.

[@BuckMckawtheotherone]

Beautiful video, Ray. Treasure these times; daughters grow up too fast, then, you're competing with their boyfriend.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Absolutely. I was so pleased when she said, ‘Sure’ when I asked her to go

[@davewasea]

Can’t wait to do the Caledonian next year, plenty of practice on Tegid in the meantime 😀

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Good to practice on a lake that has its own monster, Teggie. Mind I have not seen that one either 😂. Yep have a great adventure next year.

[@davewasea]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe are you still Coaching ray?

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

@@davewasea Yes

[@philschaefer4651]

Looks like another fun adventure. Really skilled or really mad? Bit of both I'd say. ;)

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

🤣 Not too mad, I hope, seeing I had Maya with me. Yep it is a fun adventure. Not remote as the main road across the highlands run through the Great Glen and often alongside the big lochs. But it has a good feel and quiet spots, for camps, can be found. Anyway good to hear from you Phil. PS I am presuming everything is not frozen where you are; here the rivers are running well and its the best season for white water.

[@philschaefer4651]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe Sadly everything froze up back in October. Best way to cross the lakes and rivers right now is with my skis. So padding vicariously through you till May again.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

@@philschaefer4651 I am envious of the skiing. Anyway I will try to post enough to satisfy the itch.

[@chaswarren7239]

Lovely trip Ray ! The three rivers are fun too !

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It was good. We didn’t do the rivers on this trip but I have done them many times in the past. My favourite is the River Oich but not this time.

[@patrickdansey3984]

Loch Lochy sounds like a good place for Boaty McBoatface to sail!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It would be good indeed. Mind I have also paddled in in mirror calm. But great place

[@adventureswithjosie]

Looks like a lovely first part of your trip! So interesting to see what a canoe trip looks like in Scotland!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you enjoyed it. Scotland is wonderful with some brilliant river expeditions like the Rivers Spey and Tay along with some really wild trips in remoter areas of the Highlands. But the Great Glen is really accessible and a great trip. Anyway aiming to finishing editing Part 2 today. Thanks.

[@canoetomah7781]

Canoed the River Tay with my Daughter. Grand Country in Scotland

[@skc_trips8269]

Good video ! are you allowed to sail on the canal ? I have had a lock keeper quoting some by law and telling me not to sail !

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you. Lock keeper was right but it was designed for yachts and applied to us. I had the sail down well short of locks and could remove it in seconds if challenged. Mind I would not raft canoe and put a big rig up that would be challenging them too much. A single canoe canoe with a small sail I thought I could get away with it...... naughty but nice.

[@Igorfun]

Hi Ray, thanks for your video. I have a question .... I live at the French Belgian border close to the river La Meuse, I'd like to paddle my canoe on the Meuse but I'm hesitant because I have to board from a concrete side 30cm higher then the water, like you had to do in this video. Could you make a video on proper technique? Thanks a lot. Paddle along ! Igor

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

That is a good idea but I am not sure when I can get around to it as I have a lot of editing to do at present. however these guys have a video on the subject: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJC3e4yrgsZ8a5o But I am going to add it to my lengthy list.

[@Igorfun]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe Thanks Ray, looking forward to video.

[@Tim8o1]

Were you using your Big Dipper paddle? Enjoying this, reminds me of when we did the Great Glenn :) nice one Ray

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep well spotted. 😁. Yep it is my all time favourite paddle. It is the white water version

[@adelejones3746]

What month was this Ray.? What was the midge situation there? Gareth.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Lateish August. Combination of being late in the summer and having a breeze most of the time meant there were no midges to speak of or very minor.

[@Rhodri80]

How do you get back to Fort William to collect the car?

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I was either going to catch the bus or even take a taxi however a friend, who lives west of Fort William offered to come and collect us and canoe.