Adventures
Long Water - Canoe Loch Awe
Long Water - Canoe Loch Awe
Join us for three nights and four days of wild camping and canoe travel in some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery.
See the Scottish outdoors up close as we move through it by open canoe. The steady power of your paddle in the water will propel you through this journey with us. We’ll be travelling through stunning landscapes, across Loch and island camping on this adventure. You’ll be accompanying two experienced outdoors-men whose knowledge you’ll be able to draw upon to make this trip both exciting and engaging.
During the expedition we'll introduce you to the canoe as a means of wilderness travel and teach you the practical bushcraft to make journeys in this way. Ideal for anyone wanting to experience nature, whether you know how to paddle or not.
Book with just a 25% deposit: at checkout type DEPOSIT into the offer code box. (Full payment required 10 weeks prior to the trip)
An Exploration of Loch Awe -
Wilderness Skills and the Canoe
Throughout the expedition you’ll learn about the canoe all the way, under the close and friendly guidance of either Robin Heath or Andy Waring. They’ll aid you as you develop your paddling technique and ability to read the water. If you're new to the canoe you couldn't hope for a better instructor to introduce you to this exceptional watercraft; if you've experience already in a canoe both Robin and Andy are talented tutors and will happily offer you advice on how you can build on your existing skillset.
All the way your second guide, Jamie Dakota or Max Barnes, will support and intertwine bushcraft related knowledge and advice. Whilst in camp Jamie will work with everyone to improve their expedition skills and outdoorsmanship.
Start time: 9am Finish time: 1pm (varying depending on weather conditions and returns to cars).
There is a maximum group size of 6 participants plus the 2 instructors
A full kit list will be provided on booking, all specialist equipment will be provided
The route is great for first time canoe travellers (it was Jamie's first extended canoe trip).
There will be an option to spend the afternoon once the trip is over to paddle down River Awe if the weather permits. Details of this are in the booking pack, but it is a completely optional extra to the trip itself. There are some more advanced sections to the river for those who are more experienced, but first timers can use those sections to practice lining the canoes down river from the bank. If you'd like some extra canoe tuition before the course we can recommend several excellent and friendly instructors, just ask.
The trip is catered with evening meals and breakfasts, participants will need to bring their own lunches. We'd recommend bringing lunches that are quick to assemble, and do feel welcome to bring a lightweight camping stove to make hot food/ drink at lunch spots along some favourite snacks to boost your energy and morale, as well as some choice hot drinks. A menu will be issued closer to the expedition date, and all dietary requirements can be happily catered for. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Bushcraft Skills we'll cover during the trip:
How to choose your campsite and make it work for you
Making yourself comfortable outdoors: the importance of organisation
Campfire cookery, what food to bring and how
Baking simple bread and excellent pancakes
Practical fire-lighting techniques
Fire lighting methods for emergencies
Essential knife and axe skills
Simple rope work and knots for bushcraft
Expedition tarp arrangements
Canoe Skills we'll cover during the trip:
Sailing and rafting with canoes
Open water paddling
Tandem Paddling
Considerations when loading a canoe
Portage skills
Reading the water
Flat water skills
Canoes for shelter
How to look after the equipment in action and at base
Reviews
Absolutely beautiful. I have never on my 51 years seen such a clear sky on our night paddle. One of the best moments of my life. Max and Andy were brilliant, answered every question simply and comprehensively. Massive support but also happy to let the group work as a team. Night paddle on Loch Awe - simply stunning and exhilarating. Do it, ring me and I’ll persuade you! Life is all about experiences not material things. This course will give you memories for a lifetime!
Paul 2021
Loch Awe is truly a magical place. Without heading abroad, you'd be hard pushed to find true accessible wilderness anywhere else in this country. The catering was fantastic, something different everyday to keep things varied, even with me being vegetarian. The Cauliflower Curry was definitely the highlight. The Madeira Cake was also fantastic. Everything was great from start to finish and feel much more confident in the use of a Canoe now. It was also great to learn some new camp skills and brush up on some old ones. he night canoe session for me was the highlight of the trip. The wind and rain dropped and the clouds cleared long enough to appreciate the night sky. Not very often you get to see the amount of stars we did. The Milky Way clearly visible.
Scott 2021
Well Loch Awe is lovely so I'd probably say that it's everything you'd expect from the very best of Scotland. Beautiful, wild, remote. I learnt a lot. I managed to do some things I didn't expect to. I felt well-taught and supported. I enjoyed learning some bushcraft skills from JD and hearing stories of past adventures; I tried to copy some of Andy's paddling techniques and followed his tips. I loved paddling with Max and having to keep practising what he was telling me until I got it right - really good teaching technique.
The combination of bushcraft and canoeing on this course is physically demanding and mentally challenging but the benefits are skills development, being part of a fabulous team and having a unique and special experience you'll always remember. Do it!
Carolyn Gentle 2019
I can't speak highly enough of Max & Andy!!
Max was a great leader and I was shocked to hear that this was his first time leading a trip. He was a complete natural... calm, supportive, knowledgeable and motivational. He was constantly trying to teach people new things and was always making sure we were all happy & comfortable. He's a credit to Howl Bushcraft and I will definitely be looking to book onto a future course in which he is leading.
With regards to Andy; he is a natural teacher! I was a complete canoe novice before this trip and having successfully paddled Magnetic Rock, it's fair to say my teacher did a great job! He took the time to take us out onto the water, solo, and teach us different stokes and techniques which I found to be incredible useful and interesting.
The night paddle to a ruined castle in the Loch was an incredible experience! Andy & Max took me out (as no one else was keen) and I felt safe the whole time... even in complete darkness! Andy explained a brief history of the castle whilst we explored and Max took the time to show me how to make cordage from nettles - in the dark, on an island, next to a ruined castle, in the rain! What a man haha.
Jason Obee 2020
Fantastic few days on Loch Awe with Howl Bushcraft. Canoeing, canoe sailing, fire lighting, setting up tarps, essential campcraft, outdoor cooking, tree identification and stargazing. Jamie and Andy delivered an excellent course which was well thought out and well prepared. I went on the trip to spend a few days learning bushcraft and that I did. Jamie is extremely flexible and happy to teach you what you want to learn. I have canoed before but still learnt lots of new skills from Andy. The highlights for me were the amazing food we prepared and cooked all over an open fire and sitting watching the flames whilst gazing at the stars. A truly great trip - highly recommended
Lucy Dunn 2018
As my first experience of a bushcraft course I have to say I was most impressed with the quality of the whole trip. JD, Robin (and Max) were incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic in your respective fields and you complement each other brilliantly.
Normally I am a lightweight hiking equipment kind of camper so learning to build a more traditional style of camp using bushcraft skills with a blend of natural material complemented by some modern kit was a real pleasure to experience.
The pace of the trip was spot on, the ability to practice bushcraft on the go as we moved through the landscape was a really engaging way to learn.
Listing all off the highlights would not do it justice, for me it was one of those trips when you just had to be there to experience it.
I find myself starting to spot wild edibles everywhere I go and wanting to know the type of every tree I see, so some of the knowledge you shared with us must have embedded its self.
Roy Ibbotson 2019
Recently did the loch awe 4 day canoe trip. The whole week was a fantastic experience. Canoeing seems to go hand in hand with bushcraft, and it was a delight to be able to finally put lots of theory into practice in a journey from start to finish. Both Jamie and Andy are very knowledgable in their craft, and the flexible way in which they purposely delivered the course to us suited me just perfectly, meaning I could get out of it exactly what I wanted. They were very prepared for the trip, all equipment and planning was to precision, the pacing of the trip seemed just right for us with a shorter first day to break us in, a longer second day on the canoes, and then more time spent around camp learning bushcraft skills in the days after. Food was brilliant, and I think most of us felt that we ate better than when at home! All in all a brilliant experience, I would recommend this trip to anyone who is from either beginner to moderately adept in canoe or bushcraft, and I would recommend these instructors to anyone.
Lewis Payne 2018
“Lock Awe; Loch Awe-some more like! What a phenomenal place and the adventure Howl have created here gives you privileged access to this breathtaking environment and the opportunity to pick up new skills and friends on the way. What a weekend!
Finally just a thank you from me to you and Robin. You created a really great spirit in the group and gave us some great new skills too. Hopefully the wife will give me another weekend off for the next one!”
“Definitely recommend this course. Robin and Jamie are both excellent in what they do and how they put it across. It’s also a stunning location with so much to see.
You won’t be disappointed. ”
“I’ve wet many a paddle and sparked many a fire with these lads, this will be a very inspiring trip, you will want to repeat many times.”
“It’ll be an Amazing trip, top guides, beautiful places and back to nature in the best fashion. Do it. I did. Top guys.”
“Definitely worth a look at, we did this trip earlier on this year for staff training and was amazing. Lots of knowledge gained and a good laugh.”