Gale force winds, high seas, cold weather, sickness and close encounters with nuclear submarines have done little to deter a group of young Canadian and British adventurers who are paddling a 42 foot-long canoe around the coast of Scotland.
Chris Cooper, a professional guide, explorer and photographer, is the leader of the Spirit Dancer Canoe Journey and says, “I’ve paddled my way round British Columbia and other parts of the world but I was born in the UK before my family emigrated to Canada, so I thought it would be great to paddle around the coast of Britain and bring people from the two nations together.”
Chris and his team are doing the journey in a number of legs over several years; last year they canoed around the south coast of Britain taking in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. This year they are tackling the high seas around the rugged coastline of western Scotland.
On the journey, Chris and his team will be joined by five different groups of Canadians including the Penticton Native Youth Group who will travel to Orkney in July. “This is a great moment for these youth,” says Chris. “They have raised every penny to get to the UK and it’s a great example of what can be done. They will meet the local community and it will be a very exciting time for us all – this group have never travelled outside British Columbia before.”
Local people will also join in the journey, spending a few hours or even days paddling the canoe which can accommodate 12 people. “Some of those who join us are experienced canoeists or from rowing clubs, others have never been in a canoe before in their lives,” Chris says. “We welcome people to come along and have a go.” And he adds, “The aim of this whole project is to bring together, inspire and captivate youth from Canada and the British Isles on a journey of a lifetime.”
Chris and his team have received huge local support along the Scottish coast as he explains, “People just come out and ask if we have a place to stay and instantly adopt us on the spot and put a roof over our heads. What great hospitality! The Royal National Lifeboat Institute and the Marine Coastguard Association have also been very helpful.”
The high winds and difficult weather conditions means that the team have sometimes struggled to get the canoe out of the water and above the high tide mark but locals have always rallied round to help and on one occasion a bus stopped and all the passengers got out and helped the lift the canoe ashore.
You can read more about Chris’s journey or even volunteer to paddle the canoe »
The locals from Cullipool for the first time in Spirit Dancer.
Our final approach to Cullipool through
many reefs.
A delight to take out school students with Mum and Dads in Inverie.
Retreating by Sail down the Sound of Mull
to Lochaline.
Our crew after the paddle from the Crinan Canal to Cullipool on the Isle of Luing.
