Sea Kayak Summer Isles
5 day expedition Summer Isles Wild camp
What to Expect The Summer Isles are a group of islands off the Northwest Highlands - rugged and wild and mostly uninhabited - they form an ideal location for a sea kayak expedition. On this trip we'll explore the islands over the course of five days, tailoring our exact route to the conditions. On the way we'll pass rock arches, cliffs, beaches and bays and we'll camp in some spectacular locations.
Trip Highlights A five day kayak expedition exploring the Summer Isles.
- Explore a group of islands known for excellent sea kayaking.
- Wild camp on uninhabited islands.
- The perfect chance to build sea kayaking expedition experience and improve your skills.
Grade:
Improver
Level 2 - Improver These trips are perfect for those who have some sea kayaking experience and confidence and want to build on their existing skills, or want to experience a more challenging journey.
- You should have some prior experience and confidence in a sea kayak such as an introduction course or some sea kayak day trips in mixed conditions - this should be recent enough to influence your current confidence and skill level.
- These trips can also be suited to those with little sea kayaking experience but who have transferable knowledge and skill gained from a good level of experience in another paddlesport such as white water kayaking, paddleboarding or canoeing.
- Progressive skills and longer journeys compared to intro level trips, typically between 12 and 20 km per day (daily distances will vary depending on trip type and conditions).
Typical minimum number of days experience - 2 to 10+
Clients may have done a recent introduction type course where they gained a good amount of confidence and skill and experienced a range of conditions or may have experience based on multiple day trips or a mix of paddlesports experience from different disciplines. Or clients may have a substantial bank of experience from multiple trips and expeditions and are simply wanting to explore somewhere new or learn at their own pace.
Dates and Prices
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Day 1 - Arrive in the North West Highlands
After meeting in Inverness or Ullapool we'll drive through the North West Highlands to Achiltibuie, close to the Summer Isles. A short paddle will take us across to Isle Ristol where a beautiful white sand bay will welcome us into our first nights camp.
We'll spend the evening exploring the island, which has great views over the Summer Isles, building anticipation for the next five days of paddling.
Day 2,3 & 4 - Exploring the Summer Isles
The conditions in the North West Highlands can vary and as such our exact route through the islands will also vary - we'll use our knowledge and expertise to explore the islands around the forecasted conditions, meaning no two trips will likely be the same.
We'll explore as many of the islands as possible - paddling South to Priest Island with its sea caves and rocky coastline and exploring the islands of Tanera Mor and Beag, the latter home to a sandstone arch.
As we explore we'll keep an eye out for White Tailed Eagles, Otters and the Dolphins and Whales that migrate through these waters in the summer months.
Day 5 - Journey's end
Our final day will see us paddle back to the mainland under the sandstone peaks of Assynt. We'll reverse our route home, stopping in Ullapool and then Inverness.
Accomodation For this trip we will be wild camping.
Food Includes Breakfast and evening meals. Evening meal on day 1 to breakfast on day 5. You'll need to bring snacks and lunch. It is also possible to self cater if you prefer.
Start and Finish Meet at Inverness 09.15/09.30, or Ullapool 10.30 on day 1. Trip finishes day 5, Ullapool 14.30, Inverness 16.00.
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.
Trip Grade This is an expedition style trip, we will paddle variable distances each day depending on conditions but these could include days of around 15km to 20km. We'll choose the exact route based on the forecasted conditions, aiming to make the most of the area.
Location
Frequently Asked Questions
Individuals, couples or small groups of friends. Expeditions are only open to over 18's.
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 11 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.
