Level: Just above two levels of quartz lines at Roybridge. Probably a high low?

Weather: 4-10 °C? Cloudy and sunny spells.

Group: Max, Josh, Me, Andy, Oatmeal, Maddy

Time: 1hr30 for this section, but we then did the lower (another hour) down to Roybridge.

Vibes

Both fun and funny, but not for everyone. Full of fun drops and choss. Perhaps best suited to those with a touch of masochism. I'd take a strong group as swims could potentially be quite protracted.

Features

1. Siphon River Right - A fairly straightforward chute with an easily avoided siphon.
2. Headbanger - Mandatory portage siphon, marked by a huge cliffy rock on river right.
3. After the portage, get back on for a fun sudden drop. Worth scouting this drop and the following rapids while you're out of your boat for the portage.
4. There's a boily slot with a rock in the channel, but it's reasonably easily avoided.
5. A longer section of grade 3 read and run, with some windy-er bits required eddy hopping for line of sight.
6. Steep Ramp - First of the three "lefties". The line was middle down a steep ramp (as the name might suggest), and it was a bit chossy.
7. Boulder - Boof - Siphon (aka Teacup) - A tight wind around a rock, very quickly into another rock. Easy to hit into the following rock. Very difficult to have line of sight or scout it.

Other Notes

Plenty to entertain, and most sections look worse than they are.

We had a swim a bit before the first siphon, which was easy enough to rescue, but would've been more of a pain at higher levels.

Time: 2hr45

Level: low Weather: 6 °C and raining, but no wind in the gorge.

Group: Jake, Me, Abi, Vi

Vibes

At this level, quite pool drop nad not as scary as the guidebook makes it out to be. Scrapey and pinning risks in places witha couple siphons. These are easily avoided on things you'll be scouting anyway.

Feature

1. Wish you were here - I think this is the one at the start. We just used it to gauge the level.
2. Big siphon, denoted by big boulder. If leading , it should be hard to go down accidentally, portage on the right.
3. The Brothers Grim - A wave followed by an s-bend. At this level, there's a rock in the channel immediately after the s-bend that is a pin risk. Very very awkward walk around this. I did some rope work to get around to protect the pin. There's a small siphon on riiver right, with no effect on a boat above.
4. A turn with a rock at face height.

This might be slightly out of order.

Other Notes

The walk out is gross. At this level, a small group is still very desirable for at least the first third, as the eddies are a bit small at the start before becoming more pool drop. Our group of four was a good size.

Level: rather low.

Weather: 8 °C and cloudy

Group: Me, Andy, Abi

Time: 1hr00, not including the climb out.

Vibes

We went for a bomb lap. It was a bit of a boney technical paddle. I wouldn't say it's the best paddling Scotland has to offer. At this level, it's less scary than the guidebook says.

Features

1. I wish you were here - I didn't paddle it as it just looked boney, a sign of what was to come. River left drop ran fine though.
2. A siphon. Large boulders mean it's time to get out on river right, it was fairly easy to get in and out, and not the absolute worst portage.
3. Uncertain on names from here. There were plenty of awkward bimble like sections - reminiscent of a scrapey Dart, with a few more rocks that may be in the way of your elbows.
4. The Brothers Grim? - I got pinned here. At this level, easily guarded and scouted river left, saving an awkward river right climb. Am annoying rock in the middle of the channel after the bend causes the pins!

Other Notes

The climb out at the end involves a lot elevation. The get out is marked by a rocky beach after a narrow pass exiting the gorge.