GUIDE TO THE RIVER RUNIE

NAME OF RIVER: River Runie.

WHERE IS IT?:North West Scotland, Strath Kanaird, 4 miles north of Ullapool on the A835. OS Sheet 15, Park at GR 135015. Tributary to Strath Canaird River.

Map.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Access the river from the single track road signed to Blughasary. The turn off is on the left as you go north, just after the main road crosses the Strath Kanaird River. Follow the single track until it turns into a potholed dirt track, park at the end of this.

Carry on by foot across the bridge and up the track that runs parallel to the river, follow this for about one mile. Leave the track when it turns away from the river and towards the hill. Cross the bog and follow the river until it goes though a short shallow gorge put-in above here.

APPROX LENGTH: 2 km.

TIME NEEDED: 2 hours including the walk.

ACCESS HASSLES: The river and surrounding land is owned by Strath Kanaird Estate save your best smiles for the Old boy in his Landrover and make sure you know your rights under the Scottish Land Reform Act.

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS:

Lots of rain needed, the burns should be white on the hills. If the section under the bridge looks ok then it should be runnable.

GRADING: Mostly 3. The end section is 4.

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: The last two drops before the bridge are narrow and have boulders in them worth a look to avoid a pinning.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A nice wee section of shallow gradient creek type burn with a great shoot/ drop/ shoot series to finish off. Worth a visit, especially in combination with another river in the area.

OTHER NOTES: Combine with a section of the River Inver (Near Lochinver), the lower section of the Cuileig (Near Ullapool) or Abhainn Mhr (Near Elphin).

Anyone paddled the Runie further up? There is a waterfall marked on the map...

CONTRIBUTED BY: Sam Planterose, Alasdair Boyce and Matthew Dawson.