The Royal Dee

Where Do We Meet?

We'll meet in Braemar; the gateway to Royal Deeside, this is where our trip will start, there is a bunkhouse here which is ideal for the night before (and after) the trip. 

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How does the shuttle work?

We'll drop all of our equipment by the start of the river and then drive to the finish point in Banchory, after parking up we'll get the bus back and then begin our descent.

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How long are the days?

The days are quite short in the winter time so early starts and early finishes are order of the day We;ll probably be on the water for around 6/7 hours per day.

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What Do You Provide?

Five days of expert guiding with top tips to improve your paddling. There is the option to go for one of our catered options where we will provide nutritious, freshly cooked meals.

 

I Don't Have All Of My Own Equipment...

Dependent on your requirements you can rent some or all of the required equipment or you can bring your own and just take advantage of our expert knowledge and guidance. Hopefully this allows you complete flexibility with regard to cost.

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​How Much Experience Do I Need / Is This Suitable For Me?

You need to be a fairly confident grade two paddler to make the most of this. We will have the option to run, line or portage the harder (grade three) rapids.

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Where Will We Stay?

We'll aim to wild camp for a fully immersive experience, there is one official campsite which we may use depending on our schedule and the wants of the group.

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What Sort of Facilities Are There?

Along the way there are a couple of places to refill fresh water as well as a few towns with small shops and cafes where we can use toilet facilities. The rest of the time we'll be completely self sufficient toileting in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access code.

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What if the Weather is Bad?

Scottish weather, particularly in the autumn can be very changeable and it is not uncommon to experience several seasons in a single day! We'll keep informed of the forecast and ensure we are well prepared to stay as warm and dry as possible with group tarps and plenty of brew stops. 

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​What Equipment Will I Need?

• Your chosen craft with buoyancy fitted. This can be an open canoe or touring style kayak, it needs to be capable of carrying everything listed below.

• Paddle & spare

• Suitable warm and waterproof clothing for on the water

• Buoyancy Aid

• Helmet

• Drybags or Barrels to keep everything in (remember we'll be carrying everthing on the portages)

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In Camp

• Sleeping System (Tent, Hammock, Tarp or Bivvy Bag)

• Sleeping Mat

• Sleeping Bag

• Travel Pillow

• Complete change of clothes including shoes and waterproofs

• Warm Hat & Gloves

• Clothes to Sleep in

• Battery Pack

• Headtorch

• Book or Cards

  

Cooking

• Stove

• Fuel (gas is probably the most common)

• Something to light it with

• Pots and pans suitable for the meals you intend to cook

• Cutlery (a Spork will do pretty much everything)

• Something to eat out of (This can be your pan if you want to save space)

• Mug for hot drinks (a sealable thermal flask is great here)

• Small sponge/scourer

• Eco-friendly washing up liquid (decant this into a small travel bottle)

A few Zip-lock bags are invaluable for keeping things separate and for storing rubbish

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​What Food Will We Eat?

• Breakfasts - the most important meal of the day. Plenty of carbs and sugar!

• Lunches  (these should require minimum preparation and be ready to eat, it may not be practical to stop and cook)

• Teabags/Coffee/Hot Chocolate – your choice. If you take milk, think about having small individual sachets.

• Dinners – the main event. This is up to you but I’ve got some pointers to help make things easier:

  • Avoid raw chicken & pork. Vacuum packed red meat or pre-cooked chicken breast works really well especially if its frozen.

  • Veg generally doesn’t need to be refrigerated and keeps quite well.

  • Weigh out ingredients and bring just what you need in Ziplock bags.

  • The longer it takes to cook, the longer it will be until you eat. Keep it simple

  • Don’t forget the extras that make things easier and tastier; oil, salt & pepper, herbs, spices, stock etc.

• Enough water for drinking and cooking (5l per person per day is normally enough)​