GLEANN A CHAOLAIS BURN

See page 168 of the Scottish Guidebook.

Just west of Ballachulish, on the road to Oban and the Falls of Lora. From Glen Coe, head to Ballachulsih and a small roundabout. Turn right and go under the bridge. After about a kilometer you cross the burn. Turn left and drive up to a large, midge-infested Forestry car park. Walk for 1km up the road to a bridge and a small dam. Get on here. (For the lazy, you may be able to drive up the track by contacting the office on 01631 566155 for permission). 

Needs water. This would be quite bony in low flows, but in huge spate you'd have an epic. If all the boulders at the take-out are covered, this will be high.

This is a pretty small burn with four or five bedrock drops or slides. Watch out as eddies are small one-boat affairs. The longest of these is the first slide, just below the bridge. Make sure you keep your nose up as this may have some pinning potential. Below this the river eases until the next drop, which has a tree in the centre. Best line is left.

After this a brilliant gutter drop beckons, which is taken via a big rock-grind on the right. This looks pretty undercut. Another drop, a two-stage affair with a sticky hole and nasty undercut beckons. Watch out for the low branches at the top. Small ledges and holes lead to the takeout, but keep an eye for trees. Either fight with the midges whilst getting changes, or wander back up for another go.

        

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