Pesda Whitewater Mini-Guide
LOWER TUMMEL
#10
WHEREVER THERE’S WATER
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Linn of Tummel | www.liquidlife.co.uk
INTRODUCTION A major tributary of the Tay, (before the
out is available at the picnic site next to the bottom power
by the A9 near the picturesque town of Pitlochry. A nice
the take-out, as the road passes through an enormous arch.
hydro board kidnapped all the water) the Tummel is crossed short summer trip, it can be combined with a run on the Tay
or rock climbing at nearby crags. During the summer months a regular dam release provides a runnable flow.
WATER LEVEL
Summer dam releases or very wet weather
house, at Loch Faskally. You can’t miss the turning down to
DESCRIPTION From the put-in, easy water for some dis-
tance brings you to the first grade 3 rapid. Below this the
river becomes more interesting. A large flat pool leads down into the rapid that can be seen from the road. The entrance is
are needed for this run. Higher flows can result in the grades
through a small slot and round a couple of tight turns, classic
GAUGE Look at the first rapid close to the road. If this can
Linn of Tummel. At medium flows the Linn comprises of
of the main rapids increasing.
be run without scraping, then the level is fine. If the rapid is
technical grade 3 paddling. More small ledges follow, leading you to the playhole. One more ledge then follows before the
two small fun grade 4 drops. If the river is high the Linn can
a ‘white-wash’ the river is high.
reach grade 5 and have some meaty holes. Before the cre-
ACCESS Driving north, take the right-hand turn off the
They are now ‘drowned’ with only the top couple of metres
A9 towards Foss (929 581). Follow this minor road and the
river appears, (signposted the Linn of Tummel). Drive up and put in below the dam. Limited parking is possible at a small
ation of Loch Faskally, the falls would have been much higher. visible, but even now the depth of the loch may vary.
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS Please don’t overcrowd
lay-by at the entrance to the hydro-electric plant. Walk down
the parking at the put-in lay-by.
following the fish ladder down to the river. An excellent take-
Contributors: Roland Bone & Andy Jackson
through the HEP works via a small path branching right and
Excerpt adapted from Scottish White Water, the SCA Guidebook ISBN 0954706110, published by Pesda Press, Caernarfon. For details of this and other books, as well as downloads of mini-guides and
WWW.CANOEKAYAK.CO.UK
route cards in this series, visit:
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#10 LOWER TUMMEL
PESDA WHITEWATER MINI-GUIDE
OS SHEET GRADE
0
1km
OS map data reproduced with the kind permission of the Ordnance Survey
4 km
LENGTH
43 & 52 3(4)
Design & text adapted from the SCA guide to Scottish White Water, published by Pesda Press, Caernarfon.