GUIDE TO ALLT LAIRIG EILDE
NAME OF RIVER: Allt Lairig Eilde.
WHERE IS IT?:The Allt Lairig Eilde drops into the Coe at the Falls of Coe beside the A82. There is a popular tourist car park within a short walking distance of the Falls. OS sheet 41.
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: To reach the put-in paddlers must follow the path from the tourist car park heading over and above the falls (NN 18318 56212). As you walk up the path the Allt Lairig Elide flows on the right hand side. Ideal if you want to scout as you walk. Put-in wherever you want, dependent on the water levels.
The take out is wherever you can find an eddy directly above the Falls of Coe.
APPROX LENGTH: 2 km.
TIME NEEDED: Time is needed for scouting.
ACCESS HASSLES: There are no access problems on this run.
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: The only indication for levels on this run would be the Falls of Coe. If the Falls are anything more than a scrape this run will go. If the Falls are covered with white water the run will be too high. You want somewhere inbetween. Stays up quite well a few days after rain. We paddled it in lowish levels and it is graded accordingly.
GRADING: 4/5 (6).
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Most of it. Things we found on the scout up were one unrunnable fall. One very narrow gorge. and last but not least a tree blockage.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This run is similar to all the other tributaries in the area, but a little bit more serious.
The run itself contains in no particular order; Drops, Slides, Bigger drops, Tight gorge. This is mountain surfing at its best.
The small gorge on this run is laughably narrow and is less than a metre in width in some places. In high water this gorge hides a monster hole.
There is a 10m clean waterfall nearer the end of the run that has been paddled. But in anything from low to medium flows it is only about 6 or 7 feet deep.
Although the Falls of Coe are grade 6, we were able to seal launch into the pool and run the last two drops. This comes with a serious health warning. The descent before us of these falls ended up with broken bones. BE WARNED. The first drop on the Falls would require extreme skill/luck, a mega boof, and to be under the influence of some thing a little stronger than drink. But you would still probably end up landing on the rocks.
If you are going to paddle this run find the eddy above the falls. Swimming over the falls would be suicide at most levels.
OTHER NOTES: This is a fantastic run and is well worth the walk in.
CONTRIBUTED BY: Simon Rough.
Tom Jenkins and Fraser Gillies scouting a waterfall. Photo by Duncan Stewart.
Fraser Gillies paddles the fall. Photo by Duncan Stewart.
Fraser Gillies paddles the fall. Photo by Duncan Stewart.
