There are of course plenty beaches and gorgeous bays to paddleboard in and around Assynt, but there are many more stunning lochs with magnificent views (and less people!). Many of which have parking close by. Some are a bit further, but the extra effort is rewarded.
The sun was shining, the wind had dropped and the new carry straps for our boards had arrived. I thought this would be the perfect time to try them out and paddle two lochs I had been eyeing up.
We parked up in a parking spot just off the main road a few miles outside Lochinver, inflated our boards and got all our kit together.
It took about 5 mins to reach Loch Uidh na Geadaig following an argo track. It was a bit wet in places, but we figured our feet were going to get wet anyway!
Loch Uidh na Geadaig is a small loch but it has a couple of little islands to get up close and personal to.
We picked a spot on the far side of the loch to get out, making sure the uphill route was as short as possible to get over to the next loch.
The last time we were here we had to walk around the loch, paddling across was much easier.
The next portage took 10 to 15 mins over pretty rough ground, but once we got up the slope, it flattened off over to Loch Beannach and once again we found the argo track.
We arrived at Loch Beannach to find anglers out on a boat enjoying some wild brown trout fishing. We gave them their space and headed west to keep out of their way. We were surrounded by mountain views, calm and quiet, other than birds singing and a cuckoo, cuckoo-ing.
We paddled around with a bit of a north westerly breeze. We stopped for refreshments at the end of the loch before heading back, expecting a nice tail wind, but of course the breeze disappeared…
We came across a rocky outcrop complete with a built wall. No idea why it was there or what it was used for. Answers on a postcard!
Next, we stopped on one of the bigger islands to have a nosy. The amount of vegetation on these islands is almost mind boggling compared with the land surrounding the loch. You never know what you might find!
There is so much more to explore, we could easily have spent all day here, maybe even an overnight camp, but there’s always a next time!
If you would like to have a park and paddle adventure, book a paddleboard with Assynt Paddleboard Hire and we can suggest a variety of spots for you to try.
Happy paddles!