Fort William to Inverness – The Great Glen Canoe Trail – is 67 miles of waterway through the Caledonia Canal and Loch Ness due, funding permitted, to be completed by early 2012.

Partners in the development are British Waterways Scotland have been developing the trail in partnership with the Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Canoe Association.

The project will involve putting in low-level pontoons at the route’s locks and bridges.

British Waterways Scotland estimates that about 2,500 canoeists use the canal each year at the moment, spending £750,000 in the localities en route. This usage and this economic benefit have clear room for significant development with the provision and marketing of routes like this.

This a good idea with a lot to offer Argyll. A major initiative could see an Argyll Clyde Canoe Trail – with all of Argyll’s major share of the Firth of Clyde and its sea lochs equipped with canoe pontoons at strategic places.

With the basic facilties in place, this would open up pick-and-mix trails for independents and for guided canoe and sea kayak trail businesses.

All of the marinas certainly and possibly the Crinan Canal could take canoe traffic already.

Private businesses with direct or adjacent  shore access could be given plans and guidance for such structures, developing a mix of public sector provision and private enterprise development.

A Firth of Lorn and Loch Linnhe Canoe Trail would offer access to inner lochs like Creran and Leven; to islands like the Slate Island Group, the Garvellachs, Kerrera and Lismore; and Castles like the magnificent Stalker.

More specific canoe trails would include Loch Etive, Loch Sween, Loch Indaal and the freshwater Loch Awe.

This would be a low cost initiative but could be a hugely important development, adding access and value to existing private sector, community and rural facilities, playing very much to Argyll’s strengths and opening up the use of Argyll’s traditional waterborne ‘roads’ to ‘walkers’.

It’s also an ecologically sound, non-invasive and quiet development, very appropriate to this place, offering access to remote and secret places and views no one else will see.

As with everything, good and appropriate marketing – which does not have to be expensive – is the key to maximising the impact of such a development. Sea kayakers already say that Argyll’s resources are second to none.

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