After a quick launch, we headed into the narrows where the river Forth starts. Funny to think it becomes so wide back at Grangemouth. Does keeping a helmet on stop midges ? Kimberly testing that theory.

Aaron just relaxing, as I paddle….

Travelling down the small and narrow version of the ‘young’ River Forth. Lovely avenue styled – rocks and rhodedendrons – lining the way. In august this has dozens and dozens of blue damselflys. Tonight there was lots of small pond skaters skimming about.

Snack stop -normally this would be on a sandy beach, but the MIDGEs were on the beach, so even though we were 50m  from the shore they started to creep out and bite, that’s BITE !

The group have been desperate to do capsize drills and jump in from canoes, since March,  so although it’s an hours drive, it was worth the effort. Here the group are about to beach and do capsize drills. Bit of a poor photo as It’s from my phone.

After a quick capsize session, well they stayed in the water much longer than we wanted, we got back to the minibus, popped up the changing tent and poor Miss L and Mr T had to suffer MILLIONS of midges to tie up the boats for ten mins. Overall a good session, quicker packing up and changing would help in future but good for progressing skills out to a loch and longer journey. All the pupils who had only canoed the canal the last few weeks agreed it was worth the effort to canoe a lovely wee scenic loch.

We drove up the road to Loch Ard,

The midges, they made it ever so hard,

We heard a thud, oh… shoes lost in the mud,

Wind, wind to blow them away,

Rock, rock,  sway the boat out of the way,

Paddle, paddle to get out of the way,

‘Nay way’ – they still bite, bite and there in the way !