The Great Glen Canoe Trail has become more and more popular over the recent years and is a fantastic adventure that can be carried out as a self guided multi day canoe or kayak trip by competent groups of paddlers with a basic level of experience. Many people also take the option of hiring a guide or booking onto a guided trip offered by various operators in the glen. There are obviously some advantages and disadvantages to both options, but this is a tale of a group of slightly less experienced paddlers that bit off a bit more than they could chew. The Great Glen Canoe Trail is made up of 4 sections of the Caledonian Canal that link up 3 large bodies of water, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness. The trail connects the west coast at Fort William where the canal spills its waters into the sea at Loch Lhinnie and enters the North Sea at the Moray Firth in Inverness. Most people choose to paddle this stretch of water in open canoes or sea kayaks, but there is also another option. Instead of using the sections of canal to link up Loch Oich and Loch Ness and Loch Ness with the sea (if paddling west to east), a more adventurous route is to take on the moving water sections of the River Oich and River Ness. Or if paddling from east to west, some decide to paddle the last 10 miles of their journey to the sea by navigating the River Lochy. To carry out this journey using the rivers as an alternative, some experience of white water paddling is definitely required and recommended along side a good understanding of white water safety and rescue and boat recover techniques. As a general policy, Active Highs do not
The Great Glen Canoe Trail has become more and more popular over the recent years and is a fantastic adventure that can be carried out as a self guided multi day canoe or kayak trip by competent groups of paddlers with a basic level of experience. Many people also take the option of hiring a
After being based at the Great Glen Water Park on Loch Oich for over 10 years we decided that it was time to move on to a new location with better facilities for Active Highs and our customers. Just Down The Road! We have literally moved less than 1 mile down the A82 and have a great new centre right on the road side at The Great Glen Hostel. We have taken over the ot buildings which were originally the old stables and with great thanks to Alasdair Fraser from A N Fraser Joinery we have a lovely new office, changing rooms, and a great kit store with underfloor heating to help us dry our kit and keep you warm! There are now also 2 toilets and the next development to come will be 2 coin operated shower units! 4 Star Hostel Accommodation and Camping Available on Site! The Great Glen Hostel has accommodation for families, groups and individuals with dorm rooms, family and double rooms available. There is also camping available on site as well with access to toilet and shower facilities. Combined with the activities that we have available at Active Highs, this really is a great base for an activity break, school or youth group residential, Scout camps and more! Business As Usual So we look forward to seeing everyone this summer for all of our usual activities and adventures! We have some new family discounts available on our website so for further info check out our availability and prices at https://www.activehighs.co.uk
After being based at the Great Glen Water Park on Loch Oich for over 10 years we decided that it was time to move on to a new location with better facilities for Active Highs and our customers. Just Down The Road! We have literally moved less than 1 mile down the A82 and have
Easter Activities in Fort William A Family Activity Eggstravaganza! With the 2018 spring and summer season approaching fast (honest, last week's snow was just a blip!) Active Highs are looking forward to lighter nights, warmer weather and a good fun activity filled season! If you are visiting the Highlands over the holidays we have a great selection of Easter activities in Fort William or Fort Augustus and will be open full time with plenty of fun activities to be had! Our white water rafting season on the River Garry kicks off in a couple of weeks with our first trip on the 29th March when the dam starts spilling that all important water needed to fill up our river. This adrenaline packed adventure is suitable for participants of 8 years and above and is a fantastic activity experience for families and all adventure lovers! The dam releases are normally every Thursday throughout the season with some Saturday's thrown in for those weekend breaks. If you need more information about white water rafting and river grades please read this article. We will also be running our white water funyakking trips and are looking forward to the delivery of our new NRS Outlaw inflatable white water kayaks! These new boats are going to be a great addition to our fleet of white water canoes and give us more options for the more adventurous paddlers. This activity can again be done by anyone at 8 years plus. If you have younger children or a looking for a more sedate river trip then our River Rafting Safari Trips are a great option and anyone from 5 years upwards can join in (accompanied of course). These trips a re a great half day experience and normally take place on the River Oich which
Easter Activities in Fort William A Family Activity Eggstravaganza! With the 2018 spring and summer season approaching fast (honest, last week’s snow was just a blip!) Active Highs are looking forward to lighter nights, warmer weather and a good fun activity filled season! If you are visiting the Highlands over the holidays we have a
Weekend White Water Rafting We have some guaranteed releases of water on the following weekends over the next few months for white water rafting. The next weekend release is Saturday the 27th May and we have spaces left on our 12 pm trip. We also have the following Saturdays available over the summer: Saturday 1st July Saturday 8th July Saturday 15th July Saturday 29th July Saturday 5th August If you are looking to make a weekend of it then why not try our half day canyoning trip on the Sunday to freshen you up and invigorate you before work on the Monday! Abseil over waterfalls, Jump from cliffs & slide down 30ft flumes! Book Online or call us on 01809 501459 for more information!
Weekend White Water Rafting We have some guaranteed releases of water on the following weekends over the next few months for white water rafting. The next weekend release is Saturday the 27th May and we have spaces left on our 12 pm trip. We also have the following Saturdays available over the summer: Saturday 1st July
As you may have noticed the last month has been exceeding dry with very little rain. This has meant that the Scottish rivers have been very low and in some cases almost dry! This is where Active Highs are extremely fortunate in that we have access to the best guaranteed white water rafting in Scotland due to the weekly dam releases from the River Garry. As there is an act of parliament to protect the release regime at the Garry we will always have our weekly white water rafting trips available even during the driest of weather! So make the most of the nice weather and come rafting!
As you may have noticed the last month has been exceeding dry with very little rain. This has meant that the Scottish rivers have been very low and in some cases almost dry! This is where Active Highs are extremely fortunate in that we have access to the best guaranteed white water rafting in Scotland
Easter Activities in Fort William & Fort Augustus If you are heading towards Fort William and Ben Nevis or Fort Augustus and Loch Ness over the Easter break for a holiday or weekend away, we have a great line up of activities available for you to enjoy during your visit! White Water Rafting We have the following dates scheduled for rafting due to the water releases from the dam at the River Garry. This gives us guaranteed flows even in dry weather. A fantastic fun and exhilerating activity for all from age 7+. If you are unsure about the level of white water that you would like to takeon, we have a great article that explains things a little more in depth here. River Garry Thursday 6th April River Garry Saturday 8th April River Garry Thursday 13th April River Garry Thursday 13th April Gorge Walking Adventure £45 pp! This is a great activity for families, or anyone looking for fun half day activity involving scrambling up and down the river bed, ascending and descending small waterfalls, swimming and wading through pools and take part in the optional pool jumps. Check availability and book online here Gorge Walking £45 pp , we also have family prices available online. Canyoning £55 pp This is our most adventurous activity and an adrenaline pumping adventure for anyone over 12 years old. Great for adventurous families, couples, groups of friends or anyone looking for a full on adventure! Check availability and book online here Canyoning £55pp , we also have family prices available online. White Water Funyakking £50 pp If you have been canoeing or kayaking on flat water, take it to the next level with a river trip in our 2 man white water funyaks. Funyakking is also a great alternative to white water rafting if you are unable
Easter Activities in Fort William & Fort Augustus If you are heading towards Fort William and Ben Nevis or Fort Augustus and Loch Ness over the Easter break for a holiday or weekend away, we have a great line up of activities available for you to enjoy during your visit! White Water Rafting We have
White Water Rafting & River Grading White Water Rafting In The U.K. So most people have heard about white water rafting and understand the basics of what happens, i.e., you get into a big inflatable boat and go down the river and run the rapids! We find ourselves getting asked some very weird and wonderful questions about our activities but there are also a lot of common themes so we thought it would be a good idea to answer some here! So here goes! What Do The River Grades Mean? Rivers and rapids are graded on an international scale of 1 to 6 (with the exception of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado which has it's own unique grading system of 1 to 10.) Most rivers that are used for white water rafting in the U.K. vary from grade 2 to grade 4 as this offers the most fun without the risks involved in rafting grade 5 or above. For the most part, if a complete novice was to raft down a grade 3 or grade 5 they may not see or feel much difference in terms of excitement level, however the level of risk from grade 3 to grade 5 increases significantly. Below we have added a description of the international river grades and also added what we feel is our view of what to expect and who it may be suitable for. Class I: Easy fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy. Suitable for anyone, gentle rafting we have trips available for age 5+ such as our River Rafting Safari. Class II: Novice straight forward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be
White Water Rafting & River Grading White Water Rafting In The U.K. So most people have heard about white water rafting and understand the basics of what happens, i.e., you get into a big inflatable boat and go down the river and run the rapids! We find ourselves getting asked some very weird and wonderful
White Water Rafting River Garry Fort William 2017 White Water Rafting - River Garry Fort William Dam Release Dates We are extremely lucky in when it comes to white water rafting near Fort William. Not only do we have some of the best white water rivers in Scotland & the U.K., we also have access to white water rafting on the River Garry which is a dam release river so we also have scheduled water every week from the end of March until the end of October. When the dam is opened at the top of the River Garry, the river rises by around a metre in height which means that we get awesome white water rafting when other rivers in Scotland can be very low, dry and in navigable. We do have other rivers available to us for white water rafting but these only come into condition after heavy rain & rise and fall very quickly. Below are the scheduled dates for the release of water from the dam at the River Garry which offers us grade 3&4 rafting that is fun and reliable every week! Book online or call us on 01809 501459 River Garry Dam Release Schedule 2017 No DAY DATE MONTH 1 Thursday 23rd March 2 Thursday 30th March 3 Thursday 6th April 4 Saturday 8th April 5 Thursday 13th April 6 Thursday 20th April 7 Thursday 27th April 8 Saturday 29th April 9 Thursday 4th May 10 Saturday 13th May 11 Thursday 18th May 12 Thursday 25th May 13 Saturday 27th May 14 Thursday 1st June 15 Thursday 8th June 16 Friday 9th June 17 Thursday 22nd June 18 Thursday 29th June 19 Saturday 1st July 20 Thursday 6th July 21 Saturday 8th July 22 Thursday 13th July 23 Saturday 15th July 24 Thursday 20th
White Water Rafting River Garry Fort William 2017 White Water Rafting – River Garry Fort William Dam Release Dates We are extremely lucky in when it comes to white water rafting near Fort William. Not only do we have some of the best white water rivers in Scotland & the U.K., we also have access
The best stag weekend activities in Scotland - If you are looking for some fun and adventurous stag weekend activities in Scotland or hen weekend activities then Active Highs have a fantastic range of activities for that stag weekend or hen weekend with a difference! You can mix and match from our activities and you can be sure to find something that meets your requirements. Active Highs do offer some of the more extreme adventure sports that are guaranteed to get you pulse racing such as canyoning & white water rafting. We also have some more relaxed activities available if you are looking for a more relaxed experience for your last weekend of freedom. Active Highs offer Quality & fun activities, an accommodation booking service or recommendations on where to stay. We can organise lunches from pies to seated meals, travel advice, minibus & driver booking service Please read our booking terms and conditions prior to making a booking for your stag weekend.
The best stag weekend activities in Scotland – If you are looking for some fun and adventurous stag weekend activities in Scotland or hen weekend activities then Active Highs have a fantastic range of activities for that stag weekend or hen weekend with a difference! You can mix and match from our activities and you can
Things to Do in Fort William Outdoor Activities in Fort William For Everyone! The Scottish Highlands is a fantastic place to live and we never have a problem finding things to do in Fort William and the surrounding area. People often ask us what we do for fun and how did we find some of our activity locations & the simple answer is that in our spare time we go exploring and have adventures of our own! We also live and work in an awesome place with loads of stuff to do form relaxed walks and canoe journeys, fishing in the sea, lochs and rivers as well as occasionally scaring ourselves to death just for fun! Summer Activities in Fort William With the warmer weather arriving and the holidays getting closer more and more visitors to our area will be looking for things to do in Fort William during their stay. Active Highs have got a fantastic fun filled activity program running during 2016 with something for everyone from gentle canoe trips, target sports, family rafting trips suitable for age 5 plus, to adrenaline pumping activities such as white water rafting and canyoning! We have put together a short guide for you to take a look at which may answer some of your questions to help you find some of the best things to do in Fort William this summer! What Activities Can I Do With My Family ? We get asked this question all of the time by nervous parents and quite rightly so, after all, they are your family and kids! All of our activities are family friendly and most being suitable for kids of 8 years and over with a few exceptions. Our age restrictions are also not hard and fast as all kids are different with some
Things to Do in Fort William Outdoor Activities in Fort William For Everyone! The Scottish Highlands is a fantastic place to live and we never have a problem finding things to do in Fort William and the surrounding area. People often ask us what we do for fun and how did we find some of
