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Scottish SUP Guide - Number One - River Tay - Pitlochry to Ballinluig

Matt Gambles • 24 March 2020
This is a great section of about 5 miles of fairly fast grade one to two water in lovely countryside. This is the final stretch of the River Tummel before it joins the mighty River Tay. It starts in Pitlochry, a major Highland tourist town, with great facilities including hotels, hostels, campsites, cafes and shops. The route starts just below the huge, impressive, Faskally hydro-electric dam (note, this river is dam released, so be aware of the water levels rising when on the water). Above the dam is lovely Loch Faskally which makes another great destination (see its own seperate guide further down ther list).

Parking at the start is possible near the Pitlochry festival theatre which has a car park, or the Port-Na-Craig hamlet road. Alternatively, park by the rugby pitch on the opposite bank.

From the start you are in fast flowing water, before a nice calm section heading underneath Pitlochry's foot and road bridges. The river then begins to become a little more shallow just before the road bridge for the A9. After picking your line down here (left at low water levels) and heading under the bridge, the first rapid awaits. As with all the rapids on this section it is a nice, safe wave train. At medium to high levels it is a lot of fun to surf it too.

Heading down towards Ballinluig, lots of fun lines and small rapids await. Just watch out for anglers and overhanging branches on the outside of some bends.

The egress point for this section is just before the next road bridge on the right hand side at Ballinluig. Alternatively, you can carry on the 9 miles to Dunkeld to make a fantastic fully day on the water

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