Grandtully Station Campsite, Pitlochry, Perthshire. (Day 4)

Today we knew we'd be getting wet. Rain was forecast and we could no longer put off the fact we had to practice some rescue techniques.

A short drive up the road at Aberfeldy, where after some instruction we took to the river. Angela could see the water to her running quite fast, although she was reassured the flow was not too bad. She also did not like the look of the nearby 'bubbling' water. Oh dear! After much reassurance by David, we were in our boats and on the water. David has been very calm and patient with us all through the course, particularly a nervous Angela. He coaxed her gently into following his lead down the river with its obstacles. Once she decided to opt out watching him and John take on something a little more adventurous.

We were cold, but happy. After lunch the finale. Into the cold water, not very deep, but quite deep enough for Angela, we practiced some rescue and recovery. The assisted rescue was not as easy as David made it look. Haul yourself onto the boat, roll to one side, drop in your seat. Work in progress. We would need to practice back home in Poole harbour. 

Job done though. We now had 'most of the gear, and a bit more idea', than when we started three days ago. We also realised that we did not really need our sit on top kayaks back at home and that our pack rafts would suffice. With David's instruction and knowledge we leave Scotland a little more confident. The downside of the day, we have a lot of wet clothing to try and dry.

There is a white water slalom competition here on the river this weekend, so there are plenty of other people drying clothing. Marge's shower room has been turned into a drying room, so hopefully by tomorrow we will not have too much damp clothing to pack up. What do you think Marge? Shall we start heading back home tomorrow? Before we leave we just want David to know how incredibly grateful we are to him for the last few days. If you fancy having a go at packrafting or other outdoor pursuits take a look at his website. www.emmaus-adventure.co.uk 

Grandtully Station Campsite, Pitlochry, Perthshire. (Day 3)

This morning David arrived bearing gifts. Who doesn't like pain chocolate?  We sat in Marge for a while discussing weather, tides, kayaking/pack rafting, and as the wind was not favourable today the options for getting out on the water. It was decided that Killin would be the best choice as the river Dochart flows into LochTay there and the trees alongside the river would provide some shelter from the wind.

Angela hadn't felt well when she went to bed the night before, and this morning she still had a headache. By the time she'd travelled to Killin sitting in the backseat of David's car she felt terrible, and upon arrival at the car park vomited. Nice. She decided to give the practical side of the day a miss.

John however launched into the windy conditions and paddled along the river towards Loch Tay, stopping to look at a beaver lodge on one of the small islands.

 Evidence of their presence could be seen on nearby trees where they'd sharpened their teeth. High in the sky, Angela spotted an eagle, riding the thermals before disappearing back towards the mountains. 

Tomorrow will be our last day on the course. Heavy rain is forecast for our paddle over the rapids. Grade one for Angela please, she can be a little sicky you know!

Grandtully Station Campsite, Pitlochry, Perthshire. (Day 2)

This morning anxiety levels were still high, but after a fractious nights sleep Angela decided to take to the water with an open mind, albeit a little nervously. All her fears were soon alleviated when we met with David from Emmaus Adventure.

He straight away put us at ease and we could tell the day would go well. Which it did. The only struggle was fitting into our wetsuits, bought a long time ago when we were a little slimmer. We ran through the self rescue, the part of the course that Angela was most bothered about and decided to wait until Friday to actually participate, although Angela did manage to fall out of her boat as we returned to the car. Show off! She can hear you laughing, Marge.

Back at the campsite, where there are just four of us staying tonight we grilled steak whilst admiring the beautiful display of thousands of Wood Anemones. Rabbits, unaware of our presence, happily nibbled on lush green shoots. 

We are tired tonight, hoping to sleep a little better before we 'do it all again tomorrow'.