Falls of Bruar, Scotland

With its bubbling, whisky-colored waters, the River Bruar has carved itself deep into the foothills of Scotland’s Am Monadh Raudh mountain range. Thanks to its sizable drainage system, the river boasts a cataract of impressive rock archways, tall waterfalls, boiling caves, and dark pools.

« The team knew they had caught an ephemeral descent. »

Its beauty attracts many onlookers, from curious tourists to wild swimmers and canyoners. Poets have written about the Bruar, and it even has its own gentrified tourist trap, the House of Bruar, where you can buy cashmere and tweed along with £40 lobster and chips. For kayakers, however, the section is elusive.

Two hydroelectric schemes high in the catchment reduce the river to a trickle for most of the year—ideal for canyoners, but seldom enough to warrant taking a kayak. However, planned dam maintenance this September, paired with a strong weather front, brought the canyon into “flood,” perfect for kayakers.

Local paddlers Kirsten Cronie, Jamie Peden, and Val Baier seized the opportunity and hiked their boats up past the tourists to put in for the lower gorge, dodging questions on the way like, “Are you going to canoe down that?” Eager scouting turned to tentative boat lowering as the crew committed to the descent.

The gorged-in rapids seemed intimidating at first but were soon found to be enjoyable Class IV moves in an impressive setting. The team pieced together the pool drop puzzle, avoiding pockets and undercuts, to reemerge into the sunlight at the House of Bruar car park, stoked on experiencing the river with substantial flows, and feeling like they deserved some lobster and chips. By the next morning, the dam had stopped releasing, and the river was back to low flows; the team knew they had caught an ephemeral descent.

Words: Kirsten Cronie

L’article Falls of Bruar, Scotland est apparu en premier sur Kayak Session Magazine.