NEVIS

See page 116 of the Scottish Guidebook.

Drive up Glen Nevis until you cross a bridge. This is Polldubh falls and get out. To reach the get-in, drive up the road until it ends. Get changed in the midges and walk up the path until you cross a rocky stream. Just after this a path leads down to the top.

Needs lots of water. It's pretty poor if you do it with the minimum of water. However, at super-high flows it is very scary!

Justifiably one of the classic runs around Fort Bill. Boulderblast is one of my favourite rapids of all time. Continuous grade 5 for 500 yards+. In really high water watch out for:

A) the man-eating holes

B) trees

Dave's hole, a bit further downstream, has become my nemesis rapid. I've rolled in there on several occasions and swum out of it once in higher water. 

Scimitar Gorge is brilliant too, and the Mad Mile is exactly that! Dead Sheep Falls and Legbreaker come next, then it's down to Polldubh Falls. I'm not sure why, but paddling off Polldubh falls with hordes of tourists watching always makes me slightly nervous!

The whole run is great, and never gets too desperate or steep. Go and do it!

  • PHOTOS

(click to enlarge)

Polldubh falls in medium water  Dead Sheep falls  Under Dead Sheep falls  Ryan on Polldubh

Back to the FORT WILLIAM rivers page.