Pesda Touring Mini-Guide
RIVER TEITH
INTRODUCTION The Teith has a deserved popularity as
a beginner’s whitewater trip. It’s a pretty river, never boring, with continuous small rapids, and only one place likely to
get anything like dangerous in flood (Deanston Weir). The
Callander to Deanston stretch is then grade 1 down to the
junction with the Forth.
WATER LEVEL If you can launch comfortably into the
Teith from the car park in Callander (just below the walkway) then the river is a nice level.
8.5km Private estate bridge, ornate metalwork.
11km Portage at Deanston Weir. In low water, land river left
to carry over dry weir face. In high water, land right at sluices,
climb up, and look at salmon steps on right side. Open canoes
can be lined down with long lines. Steps easier for kayaks.
The weir has a substantial stopper in high water. Egress to Deanston from here is difficult (fence with barbed wire).
11.5km Take out right side just after sewage works, up over
wire gabions, to Deanston village. There is good parking
space here by the gates of the sewage works.
12km A84 road bridge.
(714 016), final egress in Stirling on the Forth (796 951).
19km River Forth joins on the right.
DESCRIPTION –km Confluence of the River Leny. Car park and recreation
area on left bank (Meadows Car Park), launch point.
3.5km Road on right bank. Valley becomes narrower and
pretty, much broad leaved woodland.
4.5km Keltie Water joins left, several bends.
6km Sharp bend to left. Torrie Rapid ledge is run on ex-
13.5km Weir. River widens, slows down – several islands. 20km M9 road bridge. Just below, a shallow weir (covered at
high tide). Upper tidal limit.
21km Allan Water joins left.
22.5km Campsite on left bank, and egress.
23.5km Stirling bridge (old bridge, followed by modern
road bridge). Egress recommended to left of old bridge, now pedestrianised. River below has very muddy banks.
treme left, with a turn to right in low water to avoid undercut
PORTAGES Portage at Deanston Weir after 11km.
next 400m (former slalom course).
Contributor: Eddie Palmer
rock. In high water, large wavetrain. Two more small drops in
Fish ladder, River Teith | Karen Macneish
10km Former weir, now a noticeable rock ledge.
ACCESS Riverside car park in Callander (625 069), lay-by
on A84, near to Torrie Rapid (670 046), below Deanston Weir
#03
WHEREVER THERE’S WATER
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Excerpt adapted from Scottish Canoe Touring, an SCA Canoe & Kayak Guide ISBN 0954706137, published by Pesda Press, Caernarfon. For details of this and other books, as well as downloads of further mini-guides
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#03 RIVER TEITH
PESDA TOURING MINI-GUIDE
25 km
LENGTH OS SHEET
64/65
GRADE
1/2(3)
WEIR
0
1
2
5km
OS map data reproduced with the kind permission of the Ordnance Survey
Design & text adapted from the SCA guide to Scottish Canoe Touring, published by Pesda Press, Caernarfon.