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Active Sports is a provider of recreational adventure at its best, providing activities and adventure in the Air, on the Water, and over Land, to industry, education, and the general public.

Introduction  

We pride ourselves in these two disciplines with over 35 years of experience. Based in the Borders, many of the courses we run are well catered for by the local rivers, such as The Tweed, Teviot, Border Esk, Ettrick, Yarrow and many more. Although we have great variety in the Borders, we like to indulge ourselves and run many trips north, adding as many rivers and lochs to our log books as we can.

We have courses for every need:

Canoeing

What a great way to spend a day with the family and friends paddling down the river - Dad in the back, Mum in the front and the kids in the middle. Or maybe its you in the back with your partner in the front getting a taste of white water! 

When we go canoeing we always take a picnic: crisps, biscuits, sweets, lemonade, and of course the wine (low alcohol of course!) It's brill, stopping half way down the river chilling out! Sometimes its such a hard life being an instructor!

Kayaking

This is almost a different sport from canoeing. You're on your own, so you can't blame your partner if you keep going round in circles! But once you have mastered the basics, the Border Rivers will give you endless challenges (be prepared to take a few swims!)

Location: Central Borders and North of Scotland 

Time of year: May - October

Duration And Cost: These Vary, But The Following Charts Will Give A Fair Indication Of Our Basic Courses.

Prices from 1st Jan 2011

Instruction with full equipment hire and transport.

BEGINNERS - This course is for the complete beginner, introducing you to the equipment and the skills required to confidently make progress throughout the next two days. The first day normally see us learning how to paddling as a team of two and making our way down the very scenic Tweed valley. (subject to climatic conditions)

Its a great way to spend a few days with the family and friends paddling down famous Scottish Rivers such as the Tweed and Teviot, spotting wild life such as Heron, Dippers, Goosanders, Tufted Duck, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Salmon, Trout, Deer and if you are luck inquisitive Otters!

The nature of the Tweed and Teviot allows us to tailor our trips to your needs, as we are well aware that not all of us want the excitement of white water. When we go canoeing we always take a picnic: crisps, biscuits, sweets, lemonade, a selection of cheese, and of course the wine (low alcohol of course!) It's brill, stopping half way down the river chilling out! Sometimes its such a hard life being an instructor!

The mileage of the second day paddling tends to be a bit longer due to the fact that we do not need to spend as much time with you on how to paddle. Again the trips tailored to your needs. The rivers lend them self very well to photography for those who have an eye of seeing things from a different prospective.

On these trips we like to keep a low profile when paddling so not to disturb the wild life, so all our groups are small normally no more than three boats, including the Instructors, please keep this in mind when considering a booking.

IMPROVERS - This course is a lead on from our beginners course, introducing you to a wider range of  equipment and the skills required to confidently progress in your new mode of transport. The first day paddling is on a static site involving moving water skills, like breaking in and out, ferry gliding, support strokes on the move, surfing waves, stopper work and river reading, with a short river trip. The second day paddling is a longer river trip  with a stronger focus on how to cope with rapids. demanding much more on your newly developed boating skills, good luck!

Please note the above course can be tailored for solo paddlers 

We supply the following for your over night camp

You will need to supply your own food  and spare clothing etc.

Two Day River Experience.

Course Description For Canoeing And Kayaking:

BEGINNERS - This course is for the complete beginner, introducing you to various types of  equipment and the skills required to confidently progress in your new sport. The first day paddling is on a flat water section of the "River Tweed" with an introduction to "rapids" during the later part of your day. Capsize drill will be practised at the end of  this day if you haven't already done so! The second day paddling is a river trip (river Tweed) with rapids, placing demands on your newly developed boating skills.

IMPROVERS - This course is a lead on from our beginners course, introducing you to a wider range of  equipment and the skills required to confidently progress in your new sport. The first day paddling is on a static site involving moving water skills ("River Tweed") like breaking in and out, ferry gliding, support strokes on the move, surfing waves, stopper work and river reading. The second day paddling is a river trip (river Tweed) with a strong focus on rapids, demanding much more on your newly developed boating skills, good luck!

INTERMEDIATES - This course will introduce you to a more intense way of paddling, developing boat positioning, timing, inspection, river reading, protection on rapids and  developing existing skills such as breaking in and out, ferry gliding, hinging draws, prying, surfing waves, support strokes on the move, stopper work, rolling, and rescues. During the two days we will try to focus on one particular rapid, but river trips (based in the borders) will be an option on both days depending on river conditions.

INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED - This course will introduce you to a more serious way of paddling, developing boat positioning, timing, inspection, river reading, protection on rapids and developing existing skills with specific focus on areas of weakness. High staff to student ratios combined with top level coaching will give you maximum opportunity for improvement.     

Open Canoeing Holidays, Courses and Expeditions in Scotland-

Our open canoeing holidays are a superb way to discover and explore the wilderness and beauty of Scotland. Canoes are a great way to travel in the wilderness as they are fairly easy to handle and can carry all of your kit - which is a lot less demanding than carrying it on your back!

'River Tweed Descent' trips involve a rewarding point-to-point journey over four or five days. Our starting points vary depending on river conditions but our normal first day put in point is around the Tweedsmuir area with us finishing at Berwick four or five days latter

The trip is suitable for people with no previous experience of canoeing and makes for a wonderful first canoe expedition. You will need reasonable fitness to cope with canoeing for four or five days in a row, and to be out wild camping with no facilities for three or four consecutive nights. 

As you would expect in an adventure holiday, things sometimes don't quite go to plan, and the weather or other factors can partly dictate the final itinerary of a trip. However, our experienced guides and support team will always ensure that you get the most out of your holiday in Scotland.

The expeditions begin with our guide running an introductory session on the basic skills and safety procedures involved in open canoeing. Then we load up the canoes and start our journey from source to mouth,

Cooking on these expeditions is a group activity and everyone is asked to get involved throughout the trip, we practice a ‘leave no trace’ policy, so that we can be sure we are not damaging these beautiful but fragile landscapes. By the end of the expedition, we hope you will leave feeling that you know the area quite intimately and hope you will find yourself wondering which trip to come on next.

 

EXPEDITION: River Tweed Decent

DURATION: Four to five days (subject to River conditions and group ability)

TIME OF YEAR: May to September (as required)

GRADE OF EXPEDITION DIFFICULTY: Medium

RIVER GRADING: 1-3

WILD CAMPING: Yes

GATHERING POINT: Melrose head office

FAREWELL POINT: Melrose head office or Berwick, depending on individual arrangements.

EQUIPMENT: Canoes, Paddles, Buoyancy aids, Water proof barrels, Transport (for shuttle)

COST:

We supply the following for your over night camps

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPLY

Adventure on Wheels Ltd working together with Active Sports, are providers of tours and recreation at their best, providing activities with adventure, over Land and Water to industry, education, and the general public.