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GUIDE TO THE RIVER AVON (Edinburgh Area)
NAME OF RIVER: Avon. WHERE IS IT?: Linlithgow near Edinburgh just off the M9. Map. PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: We put in at the bridge where the A801 crosses the Avon, if you take the left directly after the bridge (coming from the north) you can park here along the roadside more safely than nearer the bridge. You can put in here under the bridge or find another put in up stream as it can apparently be paddled further up. Take out in Linlithgow just after the bridge. Below the weir is the best take out as the bank is solid and the river is very canalised in the short section actually in Linlithgow. We parked in the car park of the hotel just beside the bridge. APPROX LENGTH: 4 miles. TIME NEEDED: About 2 hours. ACCESS SITUATION: No idea, there is a nature walk beside the river so as long as you are considerate I can't foresee any problems. WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Rain!!! This trip needs a reasonably large amount of rain. We paddled it after 2 days of rain and it was pretty scrapey. If it chucks it down in the Edinburgh area for a few days then it should be running. GRADING: Grade 3, although it probably deserved a Grade 2/3
rating when we did it.
Others I know have described it as a lot harder when it comes up becoming MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: The only major hazard I can remember is a bizarre little weir that drops straight into a Grade 2 rapid. Not really very hard to hit, just take it down the middle and dodge the rocks :-). GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The river consists of mainly grade 2 and 3 rapids and gets better further down in a sort of half gorge section. Considering where the river is located the water is quite clean and the surroundings a nice forest. Worth a go for anyone in the central belt area who what to paddle water, not sewage. Nothing too hard on it. OTHER NOTES: Close to this is the River Almond, I've not paddled this yet but am aiming to in the near future, it looks quite good and at a harder grade than the Avon. Robin Cole, July 2004...'I've wondered about this river for a while but I
always thought that the
Gorge (that runs parallel to the M9) from Linlithgow down would be a better CONTRIBUTED BY: Douglas Rae - Herriot-Watt/ Selkirk Canoe Club. |
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