The Slate Isles Expedition
5 day expedition The Slate Isles Wild camp
What to Expect On this trip we will aim to explore the Slate Isles - offering us the chance to explore fast flowing tidal waters around the islands. The Slate Isles have a wonderful mix of social and natural history and are a very rewarding destination for any sea kayaker interested in Scotlands coastal landscape. This is a very flexible trip based around the conditions we encounter, there are many possibilities for exploring this area taking in exposed or sheltered coastline.
Trip Highlights A five day sea kayak expedition aiming to explore the Slate Isles.
- Explore the wild West coast of Scarba and Jura, home to more many more Red Deer than people.
- Weave between small islands and wild camp in the Slate Isles.
- Paddle in swirling tides and take in the pure elemental power of some of Scotland's fastest flowing tidal channels.
- The perfect chance to develop your sea kayaking expedition experience in tidal waters.
Grade:
Intermediate
Level 3 - Intermediate These trips are for those who have a good level of knowledge and experience gained from time spent in sea kayaks in varied conditions. These trips may feature single days of up to 25 km (daily distances will vary) and its likely we will be paddling in wind and waves as part of the trip.
The Slate Isles are a very tidal area with very fast tidal flow in places. We'd recommend you have some tidal paddling experience - knowledge and skill associated with crossing eddylines and ferry gliding is essential for this trip, but if you are a good intermediate paddler with an aptitude for learning then we can offer coaching during the expedition.
- You should be confident holding a moving speed of 6 km per hour (3 Kn) and covering distances of 15 - 25 km for successive days.
- You should have some experience of handling a sea kayak in force 4 winds and be very confident controlling a sea kayak in force 3 winds including the use of a skeg and turning your kayak efficiently in the wind and in waves.
- You should be practised at paddling effectively as part of a group and know how to react and take instruction in common sea kayaking situations - including rescues and capsizes.
- Great if you want to build on existing skill and knowledge and explore more committing coastline.
Typical minimum number of days experience - 8 to 20+
As a minimum clients will have completed an introduction type course and a further course or expedition where mixed conditions were encountered and a clear progression made. Most clients joining intermediate expeditions have done several trips before over the course of more than one season, usually a mix of courses, day trips and expeditions. If a client has only ever paddled in calm water then intermediate trips are not the right choice.
Dates and Prices
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Day 1 - Meet on the Isle of Seil
We'll meet on the Isle of Seil, which can be reached by driving across the historic bridge over the Atlantic.
We've got five days of paddling and we'll take full advantage of that by adapting our trip to the conditions that are forecast, aiming to paddle through the bigger tidal channels during periods of lighter winds and use the mix of sheltered and exposed coastlines in the area to our advantage.
Cuan sound and Luing will likely be our first area to explore - the tide cuts through the sound and makes the area perfect for developing your moving water skill before taking on the faster tides further South.
Day 2 & 3 - The Slate Isles
The Slate Isles contain a wonderful mix of history, wildlife and stunning coastal landscape, with each island offering a unique combination of elements that makes them all worth visiting and exploring.
We can visit the old Slate quarry on Belnahua and imagine what life was like a century ago working on this tiny island. We can cross to the Garvellachs and take in views up and down the West coast whilst exploring the Monastic settlement. Or we can explore sheltered ancient wooded coastline on the Eastern side of Luing.
Day 4 to 5 - Scarba and Jura
The Corryvreckan is one of the highlights of the area. A very wild and beautiful channel between Jura and Scarba, it is home to some of Scotland's fastest tidal flow. It is not somewhere to be in windy weather and we'll only venture through in calm conditions. The journey through the Corryvreckan always has a sense of the pure power and scale of this place.
The North West coast of Jura should be seen as another highlight - a truly wild coastline that is rarely paddled. We'll enjoy exploring the beaches, cliffs and inlets on the Southern side of the gulf before letting the tide take us back North to Seil.
Accomodation For this trip we will be wild camping.
Food Includes Breakfast and Dinner. Dinner on day one through to Breakfast on day five. You can also self cater if you prefer.
Start and Finish Meet at Ellenabeich 10.00 on day 1. Trip finishes in Ellenabeich by 15.00 on day 5. No transport is provided on this trip.
Equipment Our expedition kit list applies to this trip. All specialist kayaking equipment and camping equipment can be provided (with the exception of sleeping bags). The only hire charge is £25 to rent a tent for the trip (MSR Elixir 2), everything else is included in the fee.
Location
Frequently Asked Questions
Individuals, couples or small groups of friends.
Yes - a lot of learning about sea kayaking comes from experience and is best done as individuals on the move and in context. We won't spend time on long instructional briefings or static group skills practice during an expedition but will give you hints and tips on the journey to make it easier for you and suggest improvements to your technique as we go along. We'll help you develop your knowledge and sea kayak handling skill throughout the trip but also allow plenty of time simply to enjoy the journey and the experience of sea kayaking.
The weather on the West coast of Scotland can vary through the course of the season and from area to area - Scottish islands and coastline can see dramatically better weather and more sunshine than more mountainous areas on the West coast. The wind speed and sea state are the primary factors that affect the trip - if the conditions are difficult then we will seek out a more sheltered section of coast to run the trip. You should note that it is very rare that we have to stay off the water on multi-day trips and the vast majority of trips run as planned. For full terms and conditions see the link below. You can read more about the weather/cancellation/booking on our FAQ page.
A 25% deposit is required at the time of booking, the balance is due 6 weeks prior to the trip, for cancellation policy please see our full terms and conditions.
We have a much larger FAQ page that covers all aspects of sea kayak trips with us.
