Helensburgh to Helensburgh via Lochs Long & Lomond, Leven & Clyde
June 6th – 8th, 2025
Participants: Steve Wheaton, Rem Fowler, Gotz Bucher, Damien Theaker – complete trip Alice Hewson – Fri & Sun, Jim, Seb Lay, Stephen Hearns – Sun
Tidal estuary, a long loch, camping, portaging, inland loch, camping on an island, two rivers and another portage.
Friday 6th June, F3 from West, 33Km
Helensburgh to Guanan 29Km (4km North of Mark Bothy)
Steve & Damien walked boats down from homes (no car weekend for us). Met Rem & Alice and headed out around 1300. Bit of a push into a head wind off southern end of Kilcreggan peninsula but easier going when off the wind down loch Long. Gotz joined us at Cove, break on Ardentinney beach and onto campsite at Guanan. A sheltered eastern shore, damp and humid, no breeze, and yes we were not the only ones there. Alice who had experience of the site in the same conditions declared she was carrying on to her home at Succoth. Despite a good beach bon fire we all gave up after eating our suppers from under midge hats and were all in our beds for 21:30.
Saturday 7th June, F3-4 from North West
Guanan to Inchmurrin 30Km (including 3Km portage)
Breakfasted, suited up from within our tents we were quickly in our boats and enjoying a bug free paddle to the head of the loch. The portage over from Arrocher to Tarbet is a delight and taking about an hour thirty not much longer than a regular walk. Coffee and snacks at the Cruise Loch Lomond cafe then headed down Loch Lomond with a nice tail wind. A great camp site at the north end of Inchmurrin with sunhine, a breeze and no neighbours other than a small motorboat.
Sunday 8th June, F3 from West South West
Inchmurrin to Helensburgh 31Km.
0800 start to meet up again with Alice, plus Jim, Seb & Stephen H at the entrance to the River Leven. Portage around the Balloch Barrage then lovely run down the river in bright sunshine. A lunch stop on the edge of Leven Grove Park before heading down river with a following tide but head wind to Ardmore. Brief stop then off the wind to Helensburgh Pier for 1700.
Ice creams from Dino’s to fuel a one-mile portage up the hill home for a couple of us.




