It was a leisurely start to the day, waking up to our beautiful view of the Firth of Clyde. We had had this spot all to ourselves overnight. Today, was the day where we would pick up our dog George before heading to Glasgow for one final adventure.
We had chosen to go whitewater rafting with Outdoor Pursuits Scotland at Pinkston Watersports Centre, the only artificial whitewater course in Scotland yet just 5 minutes from Glasgow city centre. This was a first for us but one we were looking forward to. When we arrived, there was a junior canoe slalom event taking place, and we watched some of that with interest before our turn to go whitewater rafting came along.
We also took a peek at The Loading Bay Skatepark across the road, and the Glasgow Wake Park next door. All three of these facilities have transformed this Glasgow Canal area into a unified adventure and alternative sports brand.
Once the slalom canoeing had finished, it was time for our turn. We were given a safety briefing by Callum and then did a few runs along the course under his guidance, before he let us loose on our own! It was great fun, quite challenging at times but really enjoyable too.
Our solo attempts were not without incident. On our penultimate run, we did lose one of the boys when our raft collided with an obstacle, but had a good chuckle about it afterwards!
If you’re looking for a fun thrill with a difference, then it’s definitely something we would recommend giving a try. And, in addition to offering this activity at Pinkston, Outdoor Pursuits Scotland also offer fun-filled whitewater rafting trips at a variety of locations across Scotland.
Our plan after the rafting was to head to the Forest of Ae (another of the 7stanes) for more mountain biking before travelling home. However, the forecast for the following day was quite poor that we decided instead to head straight home. We had an amazing time and the whitewater rafting was a fitting way to end our trip.
Many people return from holiday well rested. For us, we came back needing a rest… but in a nice way. Ten days of running, mountain biking, paddleboarding, sailing, whitewater rafting and open water swimming might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, but for us and our active teenage boys, it was the perfect family holiday. Happy kids = happy parents, even if we were a little weary by the end of it!
An active family holiday in Scotland:
You can read the full trip by clicking on any of the links below:
Day 1: Mossyard
Day 2: Mossyard – Kirroughtree – Glentrool
Day 3: Glentrool
Day 4: Glentrool – Largs
Day 5: Largs – Scalpsie Bay – Tarbert
Day 6: Tarbert – Ardishaig – Otter Ferry
Day 7: Otter Ferry – Ardmarnoch Bay – Portavadie
Day 8: Otter Ferry – Ardmarnoch Bay – Portavadie
Day 9: Portavadie – Largs
Day 10: Largs – Glasgow
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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8 Comments
Man-made white-water experiences are incredible facilities. When you think of the engineering skills being applied they really are quite something. With luck we’ll get to see more of them springing up in the future.
Yes, there are a few across the UK now – I have seen the facility at Cardiff with my own eyes (looked quite impressive), plus there’s the one at Lee Valley that was built for the London 2012 Olympics. There are also centres at Nene White Water Centre in Northampton (the first to be built in the UK) and the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre in Stockton-on-Tees.
That picture nicely sums up your active family holiday.
Ha, ha… do you mean the last one? I suppose it does in a way!! A trip full of fun, excitement and adventure! ?
Hey, Thanks for writing such a detailed article on must-see places in Scotland. I am planning to visit Scotland next month. I will definitely visit mentioned places in this blog.
You write that the white water experience was “quite challenging” at times. I’m a great believer in that old saying that you should do something every day that frightens you a little. I’m not saying be reckless but it’s important to keep feeling alive and moving forward with new things.
Very true, Peter… always good to push yourself slightly out of your comfort zone every now and again!
Looks like a good way to do this for the first time, in a more controlled environment. I would imagine falling out could have the potential to be a little more dangerous in a more natural setting. I hope he wasn’t hurt!
We also took a peek at The Loading Bay Skatepark across the road, and the Glasgow Wake Park next door. All three of these facilities have transformed this Glasgow Canal area into a unified adventure and alternative sports brand.
We also took a peek at The Loading Bay Skatepark across the road, and the Glasgow Wake Park next door. All three of these facilities have transformed this Glasgow Canal area into a unified adventure and alternative sports brand.
Once the slalom canoeing had finished, it was time for our turn. We were given a safety briefing by Callum and then did a few runs along the course under his guidance, before he let us loose on our own! It was great fun, quite challenging at times but really enjoyable too.
Our solo attempts were not without incident. On our penultimate run, we did lose one of the boys when our raft collided with an obstacle, but had a good chuckle about it afterwards!
If you’re looking for a fun thrill with a difference, then it’s definitely something we would recommend giving a try. And, in addition to offering this activity at Pinkston, Outdoor Pursuits Scotland also offer fun-filled whitewater rafting trips at a variety of locations across Scotland.
Our plan after the rafting was to head to the Forest of Ae (another of the 7stanes) for more mountain biking before travelling home. However, the forecast for the following day was quite poor that we decided instead to head straight home. We had an amazing time and the whitewater rafting was a fitting way to end our trip.
Many people return from holiday well rested. For us, we came back needing a rest… but in a nice way. Ten days of running, mountain biking, paddleboarding, sailing, whitewater rafting and open water swimming might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, but for us and our active teenage boys, it was the perfect family holiday. Happy kids = happy parents, even if we were a little weary by the end of it!
An active family holiday in Scotland:
You can read the full trip by clicking on any of the links below:
Day 1: Mossyard
Day 2: Mossyard – Kirroughtree – Glentrool
Day 3: Glentrool
Day 4: Glentrool – Largs
Day 5: Largs – Scalpsie Bay – Tarbert
Day 6: Tarbert – Ardishaig – Otter Ferry
Day 7: Otter Ferry – Ardmarnoch Bay – Portavadie
Day 8: Otter Ferry – Ardmarnoch Bay – Portavadie
Day 9: Portavadie – Largs
Day 10: Largs – Glasgow
Man-made white-water experiences are incredible facilities. When you think of the engineering skills being applied they really are quite something. With luck we’ll get to see more of them springing up in the future.
Yes, there are a few across the UK now – I have seen the facility at Cardiff with my own eyes (looked quite impressive), plus there’s the one at Lee Valley that was built for the London 2012 Olympics. There are also centres at Nene White Water Centre in Northampton (the first to be built in the UK) and the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre in Stockton-on-Tees.
That picture nicely sums up your active family holiday.
Ha, ha… do you mean the last one? I suppose it does in a way!! A trip full of fun, excitement and adventure! ?
Hey, Thanks for writing such a detailed article on must-see places in Scotland. I am planning to visit Scotland next month. I will definitely visit mentioned places in this blog.
You write that the white water experience was “quite challenging” at times. I’m a great believer in that old saying that you should do something every day that frightens you a little. I’m not saying be reckless but it’s important to keep feeling alive and moving forward with new things.
Very true, Peter… always good to push yourself slightly out of your comfort zone every now and again!
Looks like a good way to do this for the first time, in a more controlled environment. I would imagine falling out could have the potential to be a little more dangerous in a more natural setting. I hope he wasn’t hurt!