3 days on the Royal Dee 15-17th Nov 2025
by Neil Thompson
I’d been wanting to paddle the Dee for a number of years, so it was a great relief to see both adequate water levels, a team of enthusiasts and reasonable weather, a miracle!
We met on Saturday at 7.40 am at Braemar, organised the shuttle, leaving the cars at Banchory and catching the bus back. We departed at about noon in weak sunshine, no wind and 0.86m on the gauge. (This fell to 0.76 on day 3).
Day 1 took us through the fence across the river at Braemar, which was easy, through the first significant rapid at Invercauld Bridge and on past Balmoral to just past Crathie, where we camped at 4 pm, 17 km. All very straightforward and fun, you certainly needed to keep looking for boulders as there were lots at the surface, and we all glanced quite a few though all the rapids could be run on site if careful.
Day 2 (0.8m) Departed at 8 am, which isn’t easy at minus 3 and just light, but we had a way to go. The first significant rapid was at Dinnet, and after a look, we decided to line down the right side rather than risk ramming the rocks at the top and soaking us and all the kit, not good at these temperatures with a long way to go. Some sections of the river felt like continuous rapids simply because of the dropping levels and the number of boulders, great fun, but there wasn’t much relaxing to be had. Several of us found ourselves perched on a rock spinning like a top in the flow. 😀
We camped again after 39 km at about 2.30 pm, which gave us time to gather some wood. Our fire experts burst into action, threw up a tarp and set about cooking. Given the plummeting temperatures, the fire was most welcome.
With 56k done, Day 3 (0.76m) could be enjoyed more leisurely, which is probably as well, as some of the rapids here are a bit more complex and required inspecting, whereas most of the stuff encountered previously we’d run on sight. Again, we lined the first rapid in the white water section at Potarch bridge because of the rocks, but ran the rest. There are some great wave trains with big waves at these levels, so many of the boats needed regular bailing. I managed to fill mine to the brim, wedged on a rock on entry to an eddy, having survived the rapid. Arrival at Banchory at 1 pm, 22 km was a relief yet a shame as the cold weather was great aside from the freezing feet which we all suffered with. We regularly stopped to walk about, warm up, admire the views and the birdlife.
Thanks must go to “withdave” for professionally organising this fine trip and to Adam Robson, who offered his timely wisdom at appropriate points on the way, with the aim of keeping us dry, etc. Thanks also to my fellow paddlers. These DIY trips are ideal if everyone is capable and organised for the challenge at hand, as you’re left alone to paddle as a team member, but not in the usual instructor-client framework. Cold feet aside, I’d go again tomorrow, perhaps in the spring.