Canadian Canoe and Sea or Touring Kayak Hire
Please read this:
- We will not accept any canoe hire bookings for self-guided river trips during July and August, as our boats incur relatively more damage on these trips than when river levels are lower.
- We do not offer single-day canoe hire for less than 5 boats where delivery and collection are also required.
- We no longer offer single boat hire (for any duration) unless customers can collect & return equipment to our Inverness or Aviemore offices.
- In general, we will only accept bookings for up to 8 people (4 canoes or 8 kayaks) where wild-camping is planned – this is to help minimise impact to wild campsites.
Locations and Shuttle Service
We offer a comprehensive canoe hire service, expedition outfitting and customer shuttle service
Inverness – Canoe hire available servicing Great Glen Canoe Trail, Glen Affric, West Coast (e.g. Knoydart, Loch Moidart, Loch Shiel) and North West Scotland.
Aviemore – Canoe hire – servicing the River Spey, Loch Ericht.
Loch Lomond/ Loch Awe/ Edinburgh to Glasgow – No boat hire available
Loch Tay– Canoe and SUP hire only – no pre-booking available, more info here
Other than Loch Tay, it is not possible to canoe directly from our equipment store locations, so transport will be required to reach your paddling venue. You have the option of transporting equipment yourself or booking our shuttle service (where it is possible).
All hire/ shuttle bookings must be made in advance in order that arrangements can be made to transport equipment to your chosen location.
We do not offer a shuttle-only service. This service is only for boat hire customers.
Canoe Equipment Hire Costs
Single-day hire is only available when a minimum of 5 boats hired. The exception to this is when customers can collect and return equipment from our Inverness or Aviemore offices. A vehicle with rigid roof bars will be required.
Hire boats for 4 days, get 1 extra day free
Canadian Canoe
1 day: £60 2+ days £50 per day
Canoe hire includes
- Paddles [with spares]
- Buoyancy aids (or life jackets for small children)
- Helmets [if required]
- 60 litre watertight barrel per person or equivalent sized dry bag.
- A portage trolley for every 2 boats hired
- A water bailer
- A laminated map per group
- Free toilet trowel and firepan (on request)
- Fitted buoyancy airbags and painter ropes
- Our canoes are predominantly 16ft Venture Rangers, ideal for multi-day trips on flat or moving water.
- The canoes come with 2 fitted seats and although they have sufficient room for a third adult or a couple of small children kneeling in the middle, you must bear in mind that along with expedition kit the boat may sit low in the water and put you at risk of being swamped.
Kayak Equipment Hire Costs
Single-day hire is only available when a minimum of 5 boats hired.
Sea Kayaks
1 day: £55 2+ days £39 per day
Touring Kayaks
1 day: £48 2+ days £37 per day
Hire boats for 4 days, get 1 extra day free
Kayak hire includes
- Paddle
- Buoyancy aid
- Helmets [if required]
- Spray deck
- 2x 40 litre dry bag
- Portage trolley
- Laminated map
- Water bailer
Our kayaks are suitable for single day journeys or multi-day expeditions.
We do not hire kayaks for river journeys
Additional equipment that you might need:
- Additional portage trolleys: £15 per booking
- 5 metre security cables: Free on request
- Inflatable roof rack (for your own car):£15 per booking (Suitable for 1 canoe at a time)
- Midge nets: £7 each to buy
- Laminated maps: £7 per additional map
- Camping, cooking and dining equipment: £18 per person per night (Includes tent, inflatable sleeping mat, stove and fuel, pots, plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery). Note: Sleeping bags are not included.
- Tent and inflatable sleeping mat: £8 per per person per night
- Cooking and eating equipment: £10 per person per night
- Expedition toilet trowel: FREE on request
- Fire pan: FREE on request (To protect the ground if you intend to have camp fires)
- Canoe sailing kit: £15 per booking
- Cool box (canoe only): £7 per booking
- 10 litre water carriers: £7 per booking
- Canoe: If you’d like an instructor to spend some time with you on day 1 of your trip, just to make sure you settle in to the trip ok the costs would be £110 for the first 2 hours of your trip or £200 for up to 5 hrs.Please note: 1 instructor for every 10 canoeists or 8 kayakers paddling would be required.
In case you are wondering:
We don’t hire out rescue equipment to hire customers, as we expect that those with the knowledge to use it safely will have their own personal equipment.