ARKLET BURN

This drops into Loch Lomond from the east. We've driven past so many times: finally it was wet enough to paddle it in early 2006 (a first descent?)

Runs down from the Trossachs into Loch Lomond by the Inversnaid Hotel. Road access is from Aberfoyle, along Loch Ard and Loch Chon, then heading down past Loch Arklet. Don't get too disheartened by the lack of water from the dam! The get on is just by a bridge about half a mile past the dam. The get off is down the unfeasibly steep hill at the hotel. From the hotel car-park at the bottom you can see the last drop.

Needs water, but too much would make all the eddies disappear. At medium-high flows it is a great run but a bit of a mission because of the trees!

3-5. Lots and lots of trees! Some big drops, some portages, and some lovely drops. Oh, and some trees.

  • DESCRIPTION/REPORT

This river is a small volume creek dropping into Loch Lomond. The gradient is steep, as are the banks. Portaging is difficult due to the bushes and trees, and the steepness of the banks. Don't get on unless you are prepared to sweat a bit.

Our trip was filled with incident even before we got on the water. As Rich was seal launching down the bank he put a massive gouge in his boat: not a good start. James also forgot his kit and was relegated to scouting bunny! The first weir looks rocky but there is a clean line straight down the middle. After this the river starts to steepen over ledges into pools. The first kilometre is lovely, with several drops in a tree-lined gorge.

Soon a ledge is encountered. We scouted down the left-hand bank (no picnic) to find a triple drop with a tree blocking the left of the third drop, and a tree filled siphon on the right. Below this a massive tree blocked the rivers with just enough room to squeeze under, before plunging over a stunning double drop. Stunning, that is, except for a tree blocking the line!

We ran the triple drop without too much incident, except for Dave's close encounter with the tree. Then began the horrendous portage: hoist the boats 100ft up the gorge, then carry across and lower back down into the river again. Horrific. The rapids continued until we spotted James on the right hand bank, just above a massive boulder siphon. Jumping out, we found a huge (40-50ft) near vertical slide into a big pool.

The slide in LOW water

We decided not to run it, as we had no idea what the bedrock was like (see the LOW WATER; photo above). Below this a couple of tree-filled drops lead to a gnarly double drop. The first drop lands on a rooster half-way down (below):

The Hotel drop

After this drop the river immediately plunges down a 30ft drop into a deep pool. We didn't fancy the first drop (above) and ran away but I reckon it still goes.........

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