‘It’s not the Zambezi, but the Tweed has its moments’: canoeing in the Scottish Borders
A 30-mile route has opened up along this spectacular river that’s great for beginners but has challenges for more experienced paddlers too
It was a morning of brooding green banks and dark skies on the River Tweed. Heavy rains had hit southern Scotland and the waterway had turned into a fast flood, with the deluge sweeping our two-seater canoe downstream through farmland and fishing beats as fast as a salmon escaping a rod and reel.
The river, usually easy to navigate and at times only a few feet deep, had swollen fat, the rush of water pushing out in oily swirls that ambushed us. Our pace was frenzied, the spray cold and fresh. But my mood was upbeat because this was why I had come: to see the Anglo-Scottish borderlands from a new perspective.
Times are changing on the Tweed. A world-class salmon fishing river in a valley with a recent history of hosting blockbuster events, including last summer’s UCI mountain bike world championships, the waterway is now looking to canoeing for its latest lure. The Tweed Valley Canoe Trail officially launches today (1 May) and, open to the thrill of a gentle paddle as much as whitewater, I had come to the Borders for a two-day preview of the 30-mile route on its upper reaches.
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