ThePADDLER 98
ROYAL
A right
Deelight for Liv & Alain
Words & photos : Alain and Liv Cook
Planning for this trip in July 2022 , started some time ago , but with the Covid Pandemic , we eventually got there ! The week before departure , we knew which trip we would be doing ; we planned two , the Royal Dee and the Great Glen . Ultimately our decision was based on finances and transport . We decided to travel as foot passengers from Shetland using a small trolley for the canoe ( the canoe is called Joycie ) and our kit .
All commercial options to get us to the trip ' s start were eliminated quickly : buses , trains , surprisingly nope ( I ' d have thought they would ?), and the one business that could was very cost prohibitive ! I had been on an FSRT moderation course with Lyle Smith from Granite Adventures a few months previously , and , just in casual conversation , he had offered to provide a lift from Aberdeen to the start of our trip if we were to paddle the Dee .
We looked at alternatives such as a walking , SUPing or cycling trip or a canoe trip around the islands that make up Shetland ( a must-do at some point ). Liv was clear it was a ' canoeing river trip ' she was looking forward to , and so was I ; we had waited so long since the last multi-day trip we had to make something happen !
Contacting Lyle , and he confirmed he was still happy to help if available . Tying up those loose ends was a little fretful as we got closer to the travel date ; I hadn ' t had confirmation from Lyle , so I put out an APB on the Open Canoe Paddlers Facebook group ; I had a response from a chap called Paul who is a keen local paddler who was happy to help too . But then Lyle got back to me to confirm it was on , so a big apology to Paul ; it was a happy surprise to see you on the bridge .
Fortunately , I ' ve had plenty of experience packing light , and over the years of expeditions , I have fine-tuned my kit and techniques down to only a 60l holdall for a comfortable four or five-day expedition ; this has helped for more enjoyable solo canoe trips , and that ' s how I imagined it would be for us on this trip , a peerie bag each and nothing more .