Canoeing Day Loch Lomond 

18th July 2023

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Come try a new sport in a stunning location

We love our little tours to bring accessible Canoeing to Scotland and there is no better place than Loch Lomond. So whether you are a veteran or are brand new to the sport come down and have a play

The UK’s Largest body of water  

Loch Lomond should be the sea if it wasn't for a few geological occurrences  - just look at it on the map you can literally walk to the sea at Tarbet (which translates as a place to portage boats). 

No need to be a canoe guru 

We’re here to teach and with support from our powerboat “Freedom,’ there probably cannot be a more accessible and achievable way to get canoeing. 

Canoeing is super inclusive

We pioneered canoe outriggers as an excellent example of how with some thought canoeing can be super low-tech, go anywhere and be inclusive of people with a huge range of needs.

We can use any beach, do land transfers and even pull the canoe inside the powerboat to make on-water adjustments.

Canoeing is great for

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Amputees

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Autism

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Down's Syndrome

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Visual impairment (coming alone)

Visiual imparement with helper

Visual impairment and your own guide

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Speech Impairments

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Space and calm needs

Elderly

Older people

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Walking sticks or aids

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Sports Chair users

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Manual Chair users

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Use an electric wheelchair 

Biscuits

Tourettes syndrome 

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Hearing needs

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Amputees

Elderly

Older people

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 Those with an assistance dog

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Normally have full time support

Speak to us if you:

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Need to make arrangements for an assistance dog

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Normally have full time support

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Use an electric wheelchair 

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Are an essential chair user

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Need head support 

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Primarily communicate using sign language

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Use a hoist to transfer

padlding into the sunsetTransferring on the lake Two ladies on the canal in a canoe Wood fired kettle on the shoreNess ferry moored upCanoe Sailng with full sails Rafted Canoes on loch Ness Canoes on the shoreYellow Camping tent

Pick up a paddle and glide below the Scottish mountains 

Slow adventure for the soul

Canoeing is an ancient transport mode. When you get into a canoe life changes gear to canoe speed.

Now don't go thinking that padding is not adventurous it's just canoes, don't artificially magnify anything, the pressure from your wooden stick transfers directly into the water and drives the boat and directs the boat.

Canoeing is as closely connected to the lapping water and whistling winds as it's possible to be. 

Come spend the day trying canoeing and see how we can make it super accessible. 

Showing the inner salloon with a gally down one side and seating round a table all in wood
Stern of the boat showing access gate in back
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel
Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel

Making Canoeing Inclusive 

How we adapt canoeing to your needs 

We can't list everything here but below is a summary of our top enablement tools.

Outriggers and Rafting 

We can stabilise your canoe by either adding outriggers to each side or by joining two canoes together. 

Stable Canoes 

We imported our canoes all the way from Canada to get the best most stable craft available

Seating Options 

We have a huge range of seating options from just a comfy cushion or backrest to a full support seat with support straps if needed. We use these big seats alongside the canoe stabilisation systems to ensure that you stay upright. 

Land Boarding 

We can send another climber alongside to help with positioning or understanding transitions.  We can use our portable gantry hoist to  board people (you will require a manual chair as the beach is challenging at Balloch)

Radio headsets

We can talk you through the position of holds and get in the right position straight to headphones or via bluetooth to your hearing aid. This is great for enabling visually impaired people, those who need to focus on a single voice as well as those who would struggle to hear instructions 

Freedom the Powerboat

Freedom is like our superpower - by having an accessible powerboat we don't have to fight or hide from the weather - we know we can always get home and she makes rescues a doddle

Loos

Those who can't just pop to a bush rest assured we have a collapsible, portable rails and privacy tent. The departure point has a standard accessible toilet. 

Transport 

This trip is centred around an accessible train station. Balloch 

Important Canoe Loch Lomond Info

Dates and Costs 

  • 1 Days Adventure on the Lake 

  • Meet: Balloch Train Station 9 AM 18th July 2023
    or
    Depart: 10 AM on 18th July 2023 at Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway

  • Depart :  4pm Duncan Mills Slipway

  • £96 per person 

What is included?

  • We supply all your equipment, launch fees, waterproofs and lunch

  • Lunch Included 

  • All technical equipment

  • British qualified Canoe Instructor

What do we actually do

  • Brush up your Canoeing skills 

  • Paddle the most sung about Loch in Scotland 

  • Glyde around the beutiful islands and remote inlets

  • Have a laugh as a friendly welcoming group of like-minded people

Canoe Lomond Accessibility

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Vision

  • Suitable for people with no effective vision

  • Enablers

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    Organise an Anyone Can volunteer sight guide

    or

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    Bring a friend

    Enablers

    We are well staffed for this trip, a lot of help is available for support both on and off activity time

    Because you typically paddle doubles a sighted guide can patner a visually impared paddler 

    If you want to solo paddle we can add tracking aids to help prevent the boat rotating

     Audio compass app to get audio feedback about tracking straight

    Group is controlled primarily by radio communications 

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Cognition

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  • Suitable for those able to self manage without dedicated support or with a dedicated carer

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    Participants should be capable of understanding and acting appropriately around at the water's edge without constant supervision 

    Or

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    Come with an adventure buddy

Enablers

We will help with meals, reminding about medications etc 

Supportive experienced team 

Time out space on the powerboat 

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Mobility  

The trip is possible for walking aid users.

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 On land transfer between chair and a canoe 

Or

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Hoist access the canoes (you will be rafted in most cases) 

Enablers

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Supportive seating 

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Wheel on access powerboat

Low impact recoveries from the water with the powerboat

Transfer aids

Steer with just one hand with the rudder attachement 

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Auditory 

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Suitable for people with most auditory impairments that do not require signing to communicate 

Or

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Come with an adventure buddy

Or

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Arrange an Anyone Can volunteer guide

Enablers

A BSL assistant instructor is occasionally available

We have radios and Tloop transmission  units to aid hearing when seperated in differing boats 

From London by rail 

Hop on the Caladonian Sleeper and snuggle up. You will wake up in Glasgow on the morning - 1 stop on the Glasgow underground and hop on Balloch train

TOP TIP  look at buying a Glasgow return ticket separately which are often much cheaper and then buy singles onwards

Or

Travel up during the day before, stay overnight in Glasgow and get the Balloch train the next day.

Other places by rail

Any rail route that arrives in Glasgow is easy.  Glasgow is the Northern terminal of the West Coast main line and Edinburgh (50mins from Glasgow) is similarly the head of the East Coast mainline. This means that most of the UK is in easy reach of a train going the right way. 

By Air 

Fly into Glasgow City  (Belfast, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Manchester) one train to Centre then another to Balloch

Sounds great - let's do it

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I’ve got more questions

Ask a question or call us

We love questions, please pop anything you would like to know here and we will get back to you asap

or give us a call on 01539 310041

or drop us an email on info@anyoncan.uk

Not quite right, need different dates, want control of the itinerary or want to save money by filling your own trip?

We love commissions, requests for alternate dates and requests to make specific adaptions - in fact, we would not exist without them.

So please, if you like what you read but it's not quite there or you want something different, do get in touch and we look forward to hearing from you. 

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Excellent accessibility icons designed by Emma Briggs Design

Emma Briggs Design

European Start up Funded 

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European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development  

Europe investing in rural areas

Anyone Can: Connecting Transport Hubs to Lake Shores - Accessible Canoeing

Purchase of an accessible powered support and rescue vessel, and a mobile fleet of canoes with trailer

It is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 

Supported by the Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group 

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