It’s a that moment the canoe hits a thicker portion of ice, turning 20 degrees to the left, and we know we’ve found the boundary. Affric Lodge, Cannich by Beauly, IV4 7NBInverness-shireScotland. The route then follows the Loch Affric Circuit around the Loch Affric. Partners links. Eden Being. To mitigate these two issues, I unzip the half length zip on the bivi bag to allow greater breathability and then I lay a synthetic belay jacket over me and the sleeping bag as an extra layer of air-trapping insulation. The order though, with just two travellers, flexes depending on many factors. In high water there’d be little in between the moss and the waters edge, as it was we were left with a broad muddy bank to suck at our feet. Eden Rock Operations. I’d take the windward side given the enclosed nature of the tent, Max the shelf. 2-3 Lightbox Knox Street Birkenhead Wirral, UK CH41 5JW 0151 647 1993. We look at what space we have on little firelight emblazoned island in the dark, a flat space on the windward side and a shelf behind a bank of heather. Then the main tarp comes down: Tarp lines, stiff from the ice, hold fast to the algaed Birch even after the knots are untied; as resistant to move today as I am. That Pinewood fire, worked for with diligence and patience while the cold bit at the hands and face, warmed from outside and within. Deer stalking has taken place on Affric ground for centuries: 20,000 acres are stalked. As we’d had a shorter opportunity on the water yesterday we change our plans to the backup route, and decide to stay in Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin for the whole trip rather than rush this Loch to get around to Loch Affric as well. The Glen Affric Estate, Scotland. I carry a ¾ length thermarest for weight and small packsize, perhaps not necessary savings when you’ve the canoe to carry your gear, but I’m not in a position to afford a different thermarest for every type of trip and in all honesty this mat serves me well. Glen Affric is a magical mix of native woods, glistening lochs and haunting moorland. Download this stock image: Canadian canoeing on a loch in Glen Affric, with a view to hills beyond, Highlands of Scotland. From the ground up then: I always carry a piece of closed-cell foam mat in my rucksack, mostly to sit on at lunch stops when it’s wet or cold, it’s long enough to cover my torso when laid on the ground. As we took turns stirring the porridge we’d each opened out our sleeping gear on a guy-line to air out, and now that breakfast is finished we pack away of kit. The mountain air, which had been quietly kissing my cheeks as I fell asleep must have gotten a little frisky in the night, and stuck it’s tongue down my throat...I wake up coarse and unable to speak at first. More than famous views and fine buildings, Affric presents multiple sporting options. We gathered dead standing and birch bark from our surroundings, everything was saturated including the birch bark. One of the most special places I’ve ever sat. The Glen Affric Estate has a huge range of activities on offer. Beinn a'Mheadhoin, Glen Affric Further south west another island at NH236250, was only just an island, so after an explore ashore, we ported the canoe over the shallows between the island and the north shore of the loch. Almost immediately we see towards the high Gates of Affric a new weather front dropping into the valley. If I had been in any doubt I would have taken a bigger sleeping bag, but it was a great opportunity the try these techniques in the real world. In bringing the trip to a close, as snow falls on the shoulders, we find an easy spot to land not far from where we’d launched in the beginning. Glen Affric Brewery. We have the whole day to play with, as the Loch has a few little islands to explore standing steeply out of the water. Cannich, Glen Affric & Loch Ness, Highlands, Scotland, Cookie Policy Artist Web Design: WellMadeWebsite. Do your journey mates know what you’re doing and where? Eden Rock Villa Rental. We are solo on this trip, reliant on each other and the small outfit we’d brought in the single canoe. The outdoors can be a space for fun and play, but you must also by willing to listen when the little voice inside whispers ‘danger’. There’s a bay on the far-side just a kilometre away, windswept yet high in the water as the shallow Loch drains into the river in the east. Highland Piper, traditional music and ceilidh dancing, available on request - and most welcome too. Taking a quick bearing from the map and assessing the wind direction we start out, paddles to the water and the world seems to expand in front of us. Set on the edge of Cannich, Glen Affric is rich with beauty. Travel time about half an hour to Aigas, Professional photography sessions and/or lessons, Then to land on wilderness lochs or say, overfly the Isle of Skye nearby…. I had also taken the measure of filling a flask with hot water that I could use to refill the bottle in the night should I be really desperate. Magnificent. We knew that next we needed a fire as soon as possible. Here the strata recorded in rock meets the water’s edge to create geometries that crisscross in reflection. We watch as Mike paddles skillfully back the way we came, and we continue east to the end of the Loch. We allow a few moments to watch the heart of our fire take hold, and whilst the kettle sits close-to filled with the last litres of what water we had carried with us we set about pitching our beds for the night. It was stunning – helped by the fact that we had fantastic weather. It’s getting on for lunch so we look for a place to stop as we round the head of the bay, a place so sheltered from the wind and winters sun that the surface of the Loch has started to freeze in areas. Affric Lodge, Cannich by Beauly, IV4 7NB Inverness-shire Scotland. Located on the edge of Cannich Village, our cabins have been recently refurbished to a high standard with comfortable furnishings and … Glen Affric Holiday Park - Located an 80-minute drive to Inverness, Glen Affric Holiday Park offers a parking and free Wi Fi in the rooms. As we’d planned to setup a voyageur style camp that night we could think of no better an area than this: south facing, firewood close by, flat and dry, perfect! I’m somewhat surprised, I expected the morning to be damp but above zero temps given the evening of rain. This page displays my art work, both past and present. To augment this though, as my feet off the mat when sleeping, I lay my BA under my feet and calves. By common consent, Glen Affric is the finest of all Scotland's glens. The day is late, and our plan to paddle the length of the Loch before nightfall is looking less sensible in the conditions. A few more swigs of coffee while I take a few photos, I start to wake up a little more and I hear Max waking from his bivi. For now though we’re enjoying warm winter sun and still waters, we pass the odd patch of tissue ice as we cut through with the bow. 2-3 Lightbox Knox Street Birkenhead Wirral, UK CH41 5JW 0151 647 1993. Day 4: Glen Affric Car Park to Alltbeithe Youth Hostel. Early autumn seemed like a good time to go for a paddle in Glen Affric. In breaking the ice with my rock I find it thick here, too thick to break with a paddle and the canoe and I realise, to try and cut through the ice today as we had yesterday would mean a certain swim. - GF59N4 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. As we set out on out first part of the journey, the surrounding mountains decided to throw everything they could at us. There is only one Glen Affric. Having taken ten hours to drive to Glen Affric we had a short portage from the carpark to the water’s edge, and with the canoe loaded we settle onto the black surface of the Loch with just a short amount of daylight left to us. There’s a icy bay here on the lea side of the little island, much like the one we were aiming for down the Loch. The cove we were aiming towards is now entirely frozen with a thickening layer of ice, paddling into this would be very risky so we pull to the side and continue on foot looking for a spot. 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