AUTUMN BREAKS


The river wild


Combining open canoe journeys on the River Spey with exclusive malt whisky tasting has proved a winning formula for the founder of Spirit of the Spey


WORDS DAVE CRAIG F


or me, the River Spey really is a sparkling jewel in Scot- land’s crown. The great thing about this part of Scotland is that we have something for everyone here. You can canoe


or kayak on the River Spey, which most paddlers consider to be Europe’s most iconic river. The River Spey is very beau- tiful and steeped in culture and history, making it ideal


for canoe-touring. I fi nd myself referring to the river as ‘Lady Spey’ because she’s very beautiful, gracious and alluring but she also likes to play tricks and catch you out some-


times. People can paddle the Spey independently but, when sharing the river with guests, I feel they get to really know this wonderful water-path. Spanning over three, four or fi ve days, most of my river


journeys start within the Cairngorms National Park at Kincraig, Aviemore or Grantown-on-Spey. As a rule, jour- neys go all the way downstream to the Moray Firth, where the fresh water meets the salt. I tend to take groups of about eight


along the river from April to October. Some of the best trips I’ve run have been in October because there is a


tapestry of rich colours thanks to the wide variety of trees fl ourishing on the riverbank. Alders, aspens, birches, willows and rowans all combine to produce some wonderful green, yellow, amber and gold colours. Some clients have compared the beauty of the Spey’s leafy cloak in October to that of Vermont in the United States during ‘The Fall’. There really is no better way to explore and get to know Speyside than


by canoe. Local estate owners have joined us on journeys and, until embarking on a canoe trip, some have not previously realised just how beautiful their estates are until they see their policies from the river. The Spey is an iconic salmon fi shing river but even many of those who


have fi shed the river for several years only witness close at hand a limited area. When you’re canoeing you get the continuum and you’re seeing the river from an angle that you can’t obtain on the banks or from the road. Many of the canoe journeys I facilitate incorporate visits to distilleries


and guests stay overnight in very comfortable Speyside hotels. My most popular trip tends to be a three-day journey that starts at Grantown. We’d usually stay in a hotel here then paddle on downstream and stop at


162 WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK


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