{"id":25448,"date":"2021-07-13T16:00:42","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T23:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=25448"},"modified":"2021-09-18T07:50:47","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T14:50:47","slug":"returning-to-canoe-expeditions-on-the-spey-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2021\/07\/13\/returning-to-canoe-expeditions-on-the-spey-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to Canoe Expeditions on the Spey River"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Spey is one of the few rivers in the UK where you can go on a multi-day canoe trip through mountains all the way to where it joins the sea. It can be an entirely uninterrupted week of paddling. 2020 was a lot of things, but it was significant for boaters and canoeists because we couldn’t paddle as a group, and certainly couldn’t embark on multi-day trips. Getting back into expeditions was immensely satisfying because we got to work together as a team again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Spey is the perfect Scottish Canoe expedition. We started the trip at Knockando, below the Aberlour Distillery. Almost every Scottish paddler knows what it smells like to paddle in the presence of a distillery\u2014a smell akin to baking, depending on what part of the distilling process is taking place. Squirming with anticipation after a long 18 months on land, we lowered the canoes down into the gorge on throw lines. The canoes sat satisfyingly low in the water under our gear and food, straining at the lines. Getting that first stroke in and cruising away from the bank in convoy felt like leaving the last year behind.<\/p>\n

The trip started out sunny, with a strong tailwind that sailed us out of the gorge. We were so ready to get moving, our spirits soared high with the feeling the water under the heavy open boats. We broke into the rhythms of an expedition with chatter and excitement. As we left the dark green of the gorge, more and more of the river community appeared on the banks. Fishermen cast from almost every eddy, pulling in Atlantic salmon, sea trout, pike and minnows. The bank glittered with freshwater pearl mussels.<\/p>\n