Island hopping Loch Maree. This mixed group of canoists and kayakers from Chester had a great day exploring the 66 islands of Loch Maree with their guides Cory and Fraser.

Loch Maree contains five large wooded islands and over 60 smaller ones, many of which have their own lochans. The largest island, Eilean Sùbhainn, contains a loch that itself contains an island, a situation that occurs nowhere else in Great Britain. Isle Maree holds the remains of a chapel believed to be the 8th century hermitage of Saint Máel Ruba (d. 722), who founded the monastery of Applecross in 672. It is after him that Loch Maree is named; prior to the saint’s arrival in the area the loch is believed to have been named Loch Ewe, as evidenced by the name of the village of Kinlochewe (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Loch Iù, meaning “Head of Loch Ewe”) which is located at the eastern end of Loch Ewe.

Loch Maree Islands are special and given their isolation have matured ancient woodlands that are some of the least disturbed by humans in the UK. These habitats support many very rare species of plant, insect and bird.  The Loch Maree Islands are nationally and internationally protected and designated a National Nature Reserve to protect the unique and important nature found here, including rare breeding birds such as Black-throated divers.

We welcome responsible paddling on Loch Maree, and we ask you to follow the local access guidance to minimise any impacts on the protected wildlife.  We want people to enjoy our stunning nature and landscapes, but we also want to preserve the Loch Maree Islands special nature, so it is important that if you visit the islands (non-motorised craft only) you do so responsibly (Scottish Outdoor Access Code – Nature Reserves and Canoe Scotland) and leave no trace of your visit. On all of our trips we aim to educate our guests on the principals of leave no trace and on taking a responsible approach to the environment and wildlife around us.

Another good wildlife spotting day with ospreys once again seen prospecting nesting sites and black throated divers around the loch. This group were especially interested in the history of the Caledonian Pine forest on the islands and of course the links to Queen Victoria and the links to Isle Maree and the Druids.

For other paddling experiences please see our website, with centres in Gairloch, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye.