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Canoe Sail Loch Lomond

3-5 June 2026

Sheet in and smile

There is an amazing feeling that you get with the pull of the wind presses the float into the water and the boat kicks up its heels and scoots off accross the water. Elemental, joyous and exillerating.

The UK’s Largest body of water

Loch Lomond should be the sea if it wasn't for a few geological occurances - 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 sailing guru

We’re here to teach and support you from our powerboat “Freedom” There probably cannot be a more beautiful sailing classroom for a nippy light boat

Canoe Sailing is super inclusive

We pioneered canoe sailing as an excellent example of how with some thought sailing can be super low tech, go anywhere and inclusive of people with a huge range of needs. We can use any beach, do on land transfers and even pull the sailing canoe inside the powerboat to make on water adjustments.

An elemental conversion of wind to joy

Canoe Sailing - lightweight, fast and independent

We love canoe sailing we love Scotland all the ingredients for a very special day indeed.

We meet at the South end of the loch at Balloch (easy access by train). And move from there by (wheelchair accessible) powerboat to our teaching spot. And begin with a briefing about how to rig and sail your boat. For some, this will be a refresher and for others the first time they have been shown the ropes.

Important canoe sail Loch Lomond Info

Dates and Costs

2 Days 2 Nights Adventure on the Lake
Meet: Balloch Train Station Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 17:00
Depart : Balloch Train Station 5 June 2026 at 14:30

What is included?

We supply all your equipment, launch fees and waterproofs
Meals from Included
All technical equipment
British qualified Sailing Instructor

What do we actually do

Brush up your Sailing 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

Stern of the boat showing access gate in back

Cockpit of boat showing u shaped seating and large central wheel

Supportive Seating

Because canoe sailing is forward facing you can sit in a suportive seat to sail, these vary from a bit of back support to a high backed lateral support seat

Lead back controlls

Rather than have people move to the sail controlls the ropes are lead back to a control board (in two of the canoes) so that everything is in reach for general sailing

Making Canoe Sailing Inclusive

How we adapt canoe sailing to your needs

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

Loos during the day

We sail from our base island with built-accessible loos on the island - so you can go before. Whilst out and about we can carry portable loo and privacy shelter that can be set up in all manner of places including inside the support boat itself and wherever we have lunch in less than 10 minutes. Often though we transfer back into the powerboat, anchor the canoes and blast black to the base.

Freedom the drop front powerboat

Our drop-front powerboat makes canoe sailing possible for people in so many ways. Self-transferring sailors can transfer in and out of the boat by pulling the canoe inside the boat. This means we can launch from anywhere the boat can get to and we can get off the canoes no matter what the environment.

We can wizz to good sailing areas and guarantee that we can make it back to the launch points and camping spots.

We can rescue you from the water with minimal impact on your body by essentially floating aboard and then raising the floor.

We can come over to help with an awkward sail or stuck rope.

Radio Guidance

The radios in each boat make it easy to communicate, to be able to hear what's going on and avoids unnecessary shouting.

Showing the inner salloon with a gally down one side and seating round a table all in wood

Making camping Inclusive

How we adapt camping to your needs

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

Loos in the evening

Built composting loos with a large turning circle and bars on the left up a challenging boardwalk with a resting point half way. At night we can pitch our privacy shelter and portable in amongst the tents

Tipi tents

We have big lightweight tipi tents they allow chair users to wheel inside and have loads of head room and manoeuvring space to get positioned right

Raised beds or floor sleeping

We can sleep on a raised bed facilitating easy transfers or floor sleeping. For floor sleeping, we have tiered transfer stools to aid the changing of heights. Inflatable mats and an extra large inflatable mat for people with back problems.

Raised cooking and fires

We have raised fires and tables for the stoves to enable people to reach and take part in the cooking and fire lighting. The fires are special wood gas stoves that direct most heat upwards protecting low-sensation legs and wheelchairs.

The stoves also help prevent accidents as its hard to actually touch the really hot stuff

Canoe Sail Loch Lomond Accessibility

Vision

Suitable for all those who can perceive and identify objects 100m away
or bring a friend
or ask about a volunteer guide
Controls are laid out on a fixed rack to make them easy to identify
We coach by radio to help guide and interpret the conditions
Great sailing is as much about the other senses than sight - you can feel, hear and sense the boat's reactions to make adjustments to sail well.
On a small boat there is a need to avoid obsticles and steer using landforms (towards sun or to big mountain etc)
Our boats can accommodate a dedicated helper

Cognition

We also offer dedicated cognitive needs editions
Suitable for those able to self manage without dedicated support
Participants should be capable of understanding and be able to follow instructions consistently - most sailing safety comes from some core rules. If not, please bring a dedicated helper
Participants should be capable of understanding and be able to follow instructions consistently - most sailing safety comes from some core rules. If not, please bring a dedicated helper
or bring a friend
Our boats can accommodate a dedicated helper

Mobility

You need to be able to sit upright without being strapped in but with back and side support
or speak to us about an in-boat volunteer (to allow strap support)
To drive the powerboat (currently), you must be able to bum shuffle
To sail you must have good motion in at least one arm
Our boats can capsize, and people do fall out; this is an integral part of the experience, though very rare. You may need to manoeuvre yourself clear of the vessel and manage yourself in the water awaiting assistance.
You do not need to be able to manoeuvre quickly or dash around
Seating in the Canoe trimaran and Powerboat can be in a supportive watersports seat
On-site wheelchair accessible toilets, showers, changing place (Windermere) and level access cafe (Windermere)

Auditory

Suitable for people with most auditory impairments that do not require signing to communicate (or bring an interpreter)
or bring a friend
A BSL assistant instructor is occasionally available
We have radios and T-loop transmission units to aid hearing when separated or the wind hinders hearing
The site has t-loop systems in the office, shop and cafe
Our boats can accommodate a dedicated helper

Questions?

The how do I get there?

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

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

Contact Details

Email: info@anyonecan.uk

Facebook: Anyonecanuk

Tel: 01539 31 00 41

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Excellent accessibility icons designed by Emma Briggs Design

European Start up Funded

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