GUIDE TO THE GRUINARD RIVER

NAME OF RIVER: Gruinard River.

WHERE IS IT?:On the west coast, follow the A832 from Gairloch to Dundonnell. It's about a hour past Gairloch at Gruinard Bay. This describes the lower section.

Map.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: You will cross the river if coming from Gairloch. You will come across a footpath on the left of the road. You will see the river or put in before the bridge (mind, there is a big grade 4 rapid under the bridge).

Take out before the footbridge on the left. There is a small waterfall, don't go over this or you will head out to sea. Not great parking as it is meant for fishermen.

APPROX LENGTH: Half an hour.

TIME NEEDED: Time is needed for scouting.

ACCESS HASSLES: Unknown. No problems when we were there, the shuttle takes 5 min on bike which is great.

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: We paddled it end of june and it was booming! We found it on a random reccy of the west coast looking for rivers that were not dried up.

GRADING: 3+ with two grade 4 sections.

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Two big grade 4 waterfalls.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A very intense KM stretch of water with very few eddies.

The first major waterfall is a 4 tier beast that you can take you three different ways (grade 4), the second fall is bigger and only one way to go, you head down a salmon shoot off a fall into plunge pool, then off another two falls avoiding a bigger boulder wanting to eat you.

OTHER NOTES: This is well worth a visit, it's just a small stretch but great if you want to do a couple of runs.

Anyone paddled the Gruinard fourther upstream?

CONTRIBUTED BY: David Mitchell/ Adrian Hopkins.