GUIDE TO THE RIVER GARRY

NAME OF RIVER: Garry.

WATER LEVEL, ACCESS AND HAZARD UPDATES: Here.

WHERE IS IT?: On the road from Fort William to the Isles, keep going up the A82 road from the Gloy until you hit Invergarry. From there it shouldn't be too hard to find the dam.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Put in below the Dam, to get there park discreetly in the track leading to the Dam works. Follow a path down to the river, which is the large ditch with water in it. An alternative approach is to park in the Forest car-park and carry up to the Dam along a river right path. Take out at this car-park or continue to Invergarry.

APPROX LENGTH: 1 mile (3 to Invergarry?)

TIME NEEDED: Lots of play time.

ACCESS HASSLES: Obviously, things are much easier since the Land Reform Act came into force, but tensions still exist, so remember to remain courteous to other river users and be considerate with parking at the put-in.

Some historical information about access to the Garry is left in the guide below, (note that release information is now published annually on wheresthewater):

I have received a number of interpretations of the Garry Access situation. For clarity I asked the SCA River Advisor to explain the situation fully...

Andy Jackson (river adviser for the Garry) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ...Spring 2003.

'Water is released on the River Garry once a week from April to October (inclusive). This used to be a regular release on a Thursday but in recent years the release date has been moved from week to week and it is not possible to identify in advance which day the river is running. Occasionally additional releases can also take place on a weekend so it is worth checking if you are in the area.

After a difficult period at the start of last summer things seemed to settle down at the river and there were few incidents of paddlers being challenged by other river users. As the majority of paddlers use the section above White Bridge and the majority of fishermen use the section below there should be little scope for a conflict of interest anyway. If you do run into any trouble please remain calm and polite at all times. Exercise your right to access the river responsibly and with due consideration to other river users. It is a big help if you can report any problems you encounter to myself at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are seeking to establish a fairer system of water releases which stops paddlers having to play the current guessing game. You can help by demonstrating that as well as having a good time on the river paddlers make a real and substantial contribution to the local tourist economy. Please be proactive about using the pub, cafe and petrol station at Invergarry where you will find paddlers are made very welcome. There is also now bunkhouse accommodation in Invergarry. If you are visiting for a few days and you base yourself from there you will easily be able to catch the river when there is water in it. www.invergarrylodge.co.uk

By continuing to take responsible access and supporting local businesses we help to strengthen our case for a fairer system of water releases.'

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Only paddleable after a dam release.

The release dates are usually published on wheresthewater and tend to be on most Thursdays throughout April to October and the occassional Saturday too.

Andy Jackson (December 2002)...'The hydro boys are carrying out maintenance works at the dam on the river Garry (Highland) and as a result the river is on a continual release. Currently the river is running at about 1' above the normal release level and there is some really nice playing to be had. The word is that these works will continue into March but it is unclear how much water will be in the river over the whole of this period. Definitely worth a visit if you can get to it.'

GRADING: 3

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: The dam water is rather on the chilly side!

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: From the put-in, bouncy water with a good gradient leads to a nice playhole/ wave with a big eddy on river right. Below here, the river bends left and goes through a steep rapid...head river right as below the rapid are two consecutive loop/ cartwheel spots. The next rapid is a ledge drop with a good playhole on river right. This works well for blasting/ cartwheeling/ power flips etc. The final rapid down to the bridge at the Forest car-park has some nice waves for surfing and wavewheeling....go on, you have to at least try!

This is a good finish point if you're just playing. Below the bridge there is one long steep rapid (grade 3+) before the river mellows and flat water leads to Invergarry. The only point of interest is two more grade 3 rapids downstream of the main road bridge in Invergarry.

Pictures of the Garry

OTHER NOTES: Further observation from Si Cubbon...'The get in is where the fishermen own the land. A convenient hole has been created that allows kayaks to be passed through, and if you are slim enough you can squeeze through the post by the locked gate, this saves you snagging your cag/ dry suit on the wire!!! If the get in is flat it's still a good paddle, however, if the get in has huge standing waves and the trees are all covered, it'll be an exciting trip to be remembered!!! We paddled this river on Saturday 18th January, the dam appears to be broken at the moment or undergoing some repair, which means that the Garry is on full release. Some members of the group who spend too much time in Scotland said that they had never seen the river this high. There were some HUGE standing waves most of the way down the river, and due to its height, lots of emerging trees from the water. Most of the weirs/interesting parts were not too hard but were well worth an inspection!! I personally missed a line and was subjected to some time in a stopper with and then without paddles, luckily managing to hand roll and get out of it before another nasty part of the river!!! All in all, a fantastic trip at possibly the highest levels known for a long time!!!'

CONTRIBUTED BY: Mark Rainsley and Andy Jackson, also Si Cubbon.