Paddleboarding at Glencoe Boat Club

Paddleboarding at Glencoe Boat Club is spellbinding! When the weather is settled and the winds calm, stand up paddleboarding might be the finest way to enjoy the water and views of the surrounding majestic mountains of Glencoe.

Combining the best of paddlesports and surfing the boards give you the ability to explore flat water lochs, rivers and ocean swells (depending on experience). The sport originated in Hawaii and has since spread across the world with the feeling of gliding across the water on your feet being captivating to all ages and abilities.

Loch Leven provides a great location to get started and to progress to longer tours. You may be surprised at the shallow waters surrounding the loch, giving noivices a feeling of confidence.

You may want to wait til the wind dies down to really appreciate the feeling of magical wellbeing, being at one with nature, surrounded by world famous history.

Spellbinding experiences

On our crystal clear sea waters, you can enjoy thriving wildlife and escape with marine life spotting watching seals and dolphins in this great sea loch.

You can paddle round the famous Scottish Ancestral islands, known as the ‘burial islands.

Eilean Munde is the largest of the burial islands. It was used by three local clans for the burial of their dead; the Stewarts of Ballachulish, the MacDonalds of Glencoe and the Camerons of Callart. It’s interesting to paddle out to the island and wander amongst the ancient headstones. Many are local quarried slate with inscriptions dating from the 18th century.

The smaller of the islands, Eilean a’ Chomhraidh (the Isle of Discussion) was used by the clans to solve any disputes. When agreement was reached the parties would sail East along Loch Leven to Eilean nam Bán (the Isle of the Covenant) where their agreement was sealed.This makes an interesting 8Km paddle along most of the length of the loch and a return journey makes a nice expedition for lunch on either of the islands.

Legend says that Alasdair MacDonald (MacIain of Glencoe) was buried here after the Glencoe massacre of 1692. The Glencoe Heritage Trust currently shares ownership of the island. Its is accessible only by boat.

For those feeling keen, paddling down to Bishops Bay to explore the natural harbour there is a wonderful half day paddle expedition.

Planning your paddle

Eilean Munde – The Burial Island, Loch Leven

If you have two vehicles a great day out is to paddleboard the full length of Loch Leven from North Ballachulish to Kinlochleven. You will want to ensure you have either no wind or a slight tailwind from the west and set off at the start of the incoming tide. This gives you a slight boost and makes for a relaxing paddle. Ensure to take in the best bits of Bishops Bay and Eilean Munde before stopping at the Seafood Cafe for a refuel.

The second half takes you through the Caolas nan Con narrows and into Kinlochleven. There are options on the north side to finish sooner with the road running near by.

Learn to paddleboard

If you want to learn to paddleboard lessons are available from experienced instructors at Rugged Paddleboard Glencoe. They also have hire boards for those with enough experience to paddle independently.

Visitors welcome

Visitors are welcome. Whether you come by water, road or walk in, access is simple and you can also come by sea!

With parking, visitor moorings, a fully equipped kitchen, and hot showers, we are a popular choice for sailing the West Coast of Scotland. We welcome many visitors throughout the year who want to discover Glencoe. We kindly ask visitors to make a donation to our club in return.