Canoe & Kayak Hire
DISCOVER YOUR OWN ADVENTURE, FROM RIVER TO SEA
At River to Sea Scotland, we have a fleet of canoes and kayaks available for hire, with all the associated kit.
We will help you with your planning so that you can make the most of your time on the water. Talk to us about your ideas and we will help you create an itinerary that meets your needs.
We want you to make the most of your adventure time, so we’ll take care of the logistics for you. For single day hires, let us know where you are staying and what your previous paddling experience is and we will share the best local paddling venues for you to choose from. For multiday hires, let us know where you are planning to go (or pick our brain for our recommendations) and we’ll meet you at your start location with all your hired kit. Once finished, we will re-meet you at your end location to pick the hired kit back up, eager to hear your adventure stories.
Our most popular venues for single day hire
- Loch Lochy: The closest freshwater loch to Fort William (only a 25 minutes drive away) with stunning scenery and views of Ben Nevis.
- Loch Oich: Our most sheltered local loch with ever-changing scenery and historical features along the way. Loch Oich is a 35 minute drive from Fort William, or only a 10 minute drive from Fort Augustus.
- The Caledonian Canal: The canal from Neptune’s Staircase, Fort William to Gairlochy is a lovely paddle, perfect for those who want the reassurance of having a footpath next to them the whole time. This venue is also perfect for those staying in Fort William, without access to a car.
Canoe Hire
- Canoe hire costs £45 per boat per day (including paddles, buoyancy aids & a trolley per group for portages)
- Additional £15 per boat per day if you want a down-wind sail and a 60L barrel for keeping kit dry.
Kayak Hire
- Kayak hire costs £45 per boat per day (including paddles, buoyancy aids and spray decks)
- Additional £5 per 20L dry bag per day if you wish to hire these to keep kit dry
Sit On Top Kayak Hire
These are the perfect family vessel. Super stable, easy to control, and most importantly, brilliant platforms to jump and swim from. These craft will keep the kids entertained for hours as you explore your nearby loch!
- SOT kayak hire costs £45 per boat per day (including paddles and buoyancy aids)
- Additional £5 per 20L dry bag per day if you wish to hire these to keep kit dry
Please note:
We charge a small fee to shuttle your kit to and from your paddling destination. This is a set fee regardless of the number of boats you choose to hire. Price is dependent on location. As a rough guide, for local drop-offs and pick-ups: £35. For locations further afield such as Inverness: £125.
Hired boats are not to be taken on graded water (rivers with rapids). Hire on the coast is only available to those that hold an appropriate sea kayaking qualification/competency for the trip planned.
For multi day hires, a security deposit will be requested at the time of booking to safeguard any hired equipment against damage.
If you are over 6ft 3 in height or are a clothing size larger than XL, please let us know upon enquiring.
Shoes WILL get soaking wet when launching and landing the boats. Please arrive with footwear you are happy to get wet, or be prepared to take shoes off whilst launching and landing.
Book now:
To discuss your hire needs and to book, please contact us.
If emailing, to speed up your booking process, please provide as much information as possible about you and your group and the trip you are planning. We will need to know about previous paddling experience and ages of any under 18 year old’s in your group.
Our Fleet
Canoe Fleet
- 7 x Hou Prospectors: Outfitted with 2 x webbed seats, buoyancy blocks and painters
Hou canoes are high performance boats, manufactured in the UK and used by many leading adventure companies. We replace our fleet each year, so the boats are in fantastic condition, as well as thoroughly washing them down between each customer.
Kayak Fleet
- 2 x Dagger Stratos 14.5: Size S
- 5 x Dagger Stratos 14.5: Size L
The Dagger Stratos is a fantastic boat for exploring due to it’s playful properties, whilst maintaining comfort, stability and maneuverability. We replace our fleet each year, so the boats are in fantastic condition, as well as thoroughly washing them down between each customer.
Sit On Top Kayak Fleet
- 3 x Islander Calypso Sport (solo kayaks)
- 2 x Tootega Pulse 120 (tandem kayaks)
Perfect for families! Minimum age 5 years old. All under 18’s MUST be accompanied on the water with their own parent / legal guardian.
