It was 4am and I could hear Phillip moving around in his tent. Because he’s often ready an hour ahead of me I forced myself out of my tent, stumbled around in the semi dark, put on my down jacket, head torch and fed my dogs. Then I saw the dawn. It was breathtaking. I hadn’t expected to be awake at 4am, I am a late sleeper, but what a gift to see the sun rise on loch Morar inviting us to go further and further into the head of the loch. But we had seen the wind would come up later that day and we needed to head back to where we had parked the cars. It was a 6-hour paddle to return to the start of our 3-day sojourn. I was elated - the loch, the wild campsites and that quiet moment of dawn. I was grateful too that Phillip wanted to share in these modest adventures.
Dawn on loch Morar, May 2025
Our paddle friendship began in 2024, I was planning a 5 day canoe and camping trip to Glen Affric. Initially there were seven people who wanted to come along but as the time drew closer, most of them had dropped out. Phillip, who I had only met twice, phoned me, ‘‘Lindsey’ he asked,’ if none of us come along, will you still go? On your own’ ‘’Absolutely’,’ I replied, ‘I have been planning this for 3 years now, I am determined to go’. ‘Okay’ said Phillip, ‘‘I’ll come along’.
Phillip had 2 small dogs that went with him in his kayak and I had 2 dogs in my canoe, so we had some shared interests. Phillip was 70 years old and I was 68, and although fairly novice paddlers, we had done a paddle start and safe award. Phillip mentioned he hadn’t gone camping since he was a teenager, so I introduced him to the Alpkit website!! He bought a tent (Jaran, 2 person), a chair, some dry bags and a whisper sleeping mat. His rectangular sleeping bag and down jacket came from other outlets.
Phillip’s new Alpkit tent and chair on shore of Loch Affric
In May 2024 we met in In Scotland and using the windy app, we looked for a weather window where it was predicted that the wind and gusts were between 3-5 on the Beaufort scale. On 5 May 2024 we met at the end of the Glen Affric Road in the car park, put canoe and kayak on trailers, packed gear into drybags, harnessed dogs into their buoyancy aids and we looked for a ‘put in point’ along a private road that runs next to the start of Loch Affric.
Canoe and Kayak, packed and ready to go.
In my new Swift Kevlar canoe (12.6 feet long) I wasn’t sure if, with all my camping gear and dogs, I would be above the waterline. Phew… it was okay.
Lindsey with 2 dogs and camping gear – above the waterline!
Phillip in his kayak with his 2 dogs in their own crate
Loch Affric is about 5 miles long, and spectacular in its beauty. There are several Munros that can be seen from the loch, and in May there was snow on the high peaks.
The loch is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, mainly because of the untouched ancient Caledonian pine forests that surround the loch.
Ancient Caledonian pines
Canoeing on Loch Affric had been a goal of mine for some years, but what I hadn’t imagined was the calm beauty of the reflections that the rock walls and water would make, or the charming wild camp sites we found.
Two dogs resting in the tent after a busy day in the canoe.
Addendum: Exciting Times (by Phillp)
Lindsey has written about the joy and beauty of the great outdoors and about the attraction of being in the wilderness and the scenic charm of Scotland. Yes, we go to Scotland for those craggy mountains, heather clad slopes, Scots Pine and birch woodlands, and those long ribbons of deep blue water.
But I would like to write about the excitement of paddling on moving water. That dice with danger.
My first encounter was the River Thames on Christmas Eve in a kayak carrying two chihuahuas (Coco and Fifi) in a box on top of the kayak deck. Both Coco and FiFi were veteran travelers, they had already paddled the whole of the River Thames and Thames 1a was the last section to do.
In the Summer there is no water in this section and in the Winter, it is in full flood, so much so, that all of the surrounding fields were underwater with only fence posts marking the edge of the river. After a manic two hours, my kayak overturned and we were all in the water. When I surfaced, I saw Coco and Fifi and I swam to collect them under my right arm with the full rush of water in my face.
After hanging onto the tree branch in the middle of the river and not knowing what to do, I let go and swam to the bank. We were cold and wet but alive; I lost some of my possessions including my iPhone and camera. To be fair this was a rare event (a one off) but you never know when the wind and the waves will kick off.
It does help that you have the best equipment: a good dry suit, thermals, safety vest, tent, fleece jacket, down sleeping bag and insulating mat to sleep on. This means that you are never cold and miserable.
BUT even in Scotland, the lochs can misbehave; this year in September Lindsey and I did the Great Glen from Fort William to Fort Augustus. We were told Loch Lochy could be very unpredictable. This time I was in a Kevlar canoe with two new chihuahuas, Hettie and Ziggy. At times the waves were so high that I lost sight of Lindsey and the shoreline but the canoe rode the waves, much to my surprise and delight.
Phillip in his Kevlar Canoe with Hettie and Ziggy
Lindsey and I are now very good at assessing risk and knowing when to paddle and when to chill out and go for a hike instead, like the one we did in September this year from Tarbet Bay to Morar. Using my Alpkit Pacific Crest 65L backpack.
For me, paddling and hiking in Scotland beats a fine hotel and a pina colada on a sandy beach in the Mediterranean every time.