Tummel Countdown Tick-Tock!

Not too long left now!

The River Tummel is only raftable when the nice people at Scottish Hydro release water from the Clunnie Dam at the weekends. The data that has been handed to us this season indicates that there are only 5 weekends left before the taps are turned off for the winter!

We have already taken over 2000 clients rafting this season, so the guides are getting pretty smooth at running the river!

The River Bugging has been busier than ever. Our expert Bug Guides, Chris ‘The Slasher’ Wain and David ‘The Butcher’ Chlodowski (’Buggers’ to the initiated!) have been wearing their webbed fingers to the bone and working their little finned feet off to streamline and enhance your experience on the water. As the sole Bug operator in Europe we can safely say that we are the best! Easy! you might say when there is no competition, but here at SPLASH we like to stay on top and know we offer the most exciting and action packed trip around!

Listen to what our clients had to say about their experience last weekend.

” I was brought along by my brother as a birthday surprise. I had no idea what Bugging was!. It as the best thing I have done during my holiday in Scotland.”

” The water looked very cold before we got in it, but once we were going down the rapids I totally forgot about that and couldn’t stop letting out little screams!”

No doubt the screaming was due to the rugged outdoor appeal of our guides!

BOOK NOW whether you want to Raft, Bug or just cop an ogle at our handsome guides!!!

Dancing in the RAIN!!

So what exactly is an ‘Indian Summer’? I was told that it meant we would be bathing in the dusky orange sun way into October!!! What a load of nonsense!

This is Scotland! Not for the Weak Hearted!! The weather has been typically unpredictable, ruining Barbecues and garden parties the country over! In an odd way that makes us happy. You may dub us party poopers or masochists………………………….

Not for us, the long faces and pessimistic ‘Here comes Winter’ attitude!!

We love the Water!

The River Tay is rising by the day and the River Tummel should be releasing all the way until to early October. Bring it on.

What that means for you, is good honest high water fun in the stunning (rainy) Highlands. Just the way you expect Scotland to look!

With temperatures hovering round a balmy 15 degrees C’ it is not even cold!! Wrapped up sung in one of our specially designed Canyon Suits you will love the Keltny Burn.

Or across in the wilds of Glen Tummel you can engage in the mystical pursuit of Bugging. Designed in New Zealand Splash are the only operator in Europe. A one man inflatable craft, the ‘Bug’ is propelled by you kicking your ‘be-finned’ feet and using you webbed gloves to steer you around the rocks and shoots. Culminating in a 8ft plunge over the Linn of Tummel waterfall!

So like us, when you look out of the window in the morning and it is grey and pouring with rain…………….Smile!! the water is your friend!! it means MORE FUN!!!

Cheers THE SPLASH TEAM

Peat hits the Canyon

Plenty of rain has kept the Keltney Burn topped up nicely. The Peat tarnished water that seeps down from the catchment area on the hags of Rannoch Moor just keeps coming! The nice high (but not too high) levels makes the trip a must for any thrill seeking individual or group.

Culminating in a series of jumps ranging in height from 20 ft’ to a (non compulsory) 40 ft’er, the trip takes about one and a half hours. We scramble, slide, swim and jump our way up and down one kilometre of this scenic ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI). Rare Orchids, Ferns and the Non-native North American Mink can all be spotted by the keen eyed!

If the sound of the Keltney Burn whets your appetite then take a look at what you can do next. The Spectacular Falls of Acharn.!!!!!

AWESOME!

Foreign Guides GO HOME.

Our South African Brethren are here working at SPLASH.

Legendary South African Brothers Brett and Mike Pennefather are gracing us with the benefit of their combined river knowledge and experience. Between them they have over ten years of hands on rafting and adventure sports experience.

Here at Splash we aim to keep our standards higher then any other company. By bringing guides in from all over the world we keep abreast of the latest techniques and ideas on subjects ranging from developing rescue scenarios to which board shorts look the coolest on the river!! Tartan seems to be ‘new black’!!

Mike favours a straw hat and a cuban cigar. very stylish.

HiGhLAnd fUN AnD gAMES !!

The Fair is in town! The Aberfeldy Highland Show is an annual event that attracts thousands of folk from far afield. The show is spread over two days with plenty of good honest country activities and fun!

For example, comparing the ‘length and girth of your Leek with other people, Cow, Pig and Sheep Fancying, also, Dancing like a whirling dervish under the influence of ‘healthy’ amounts of fine beer and whiskey (commonly known as a Ceildih).

There is ‘Throwing the Wellie Boot’, Tea and Cake tents. A Tug-O-War, Tractor and agricultural show…………..amongst other things!!

With all this excitement flying about it is the perfect time to come along on one of our Water-Based Adventure Activities! From the splendour of the six mile section of the River Tay to Canyoning in the Falls of Acharn, we have it all covered! We can cater for families with children as young eight years old. No numbers are too large or too small!!

Why not come and do a half day session before or after you enjoy the Fun of the Fair.

See you there! (We’ll be the ones in the Leek comparing tent!!!)

THE SPLASH TEAM.

Water Water Everywhere!!

At long last the rain has really started to fall again! It seems that we are the only ones who are truly happy when its wet!! The River Tay has been given a long overdue top up of good Scottish rain water!!

The guides are out playing on their time off, honing their personal skills so that they can deliver the best possible service to you on the water.

We have also moved back to our rafting base in Aberfeldy in a bid to make our logistics smoother and more efficient.

Now is the perfect time to raft! It is still nice and warm the midges have yet to appear in force! The Riverbanks are alive!! Green and lush, with a huge variety of wild flowers, abundant bird life and riverbank dwellers such as North American Mink, Roe Deer, and the odd ‘Hairy Fisherman’!! Not long until the Kids go back to school so get out as a family while you can. We offer great deals for family groups so give us a ring and let us see what we can do for you.

Cheers The SPLASH TEAM.

Seasons Greetings!!

So……. the River Tummel season is coming along nicely! The water levels have been just right this year and more people than ever are taking to the water with SPLASH! The past weekend saw over 200 people Rafting, Bugging and Canyoning! The sun is out!, and with a heat wave forecast for the next few weeks things are looking good.

A perfect time to get into some rubber and get wet with your friends!

With all the schools either on holiday or just about to break up the likelihood of the ‘Little darlings’ getting bored and making parents lives everywhere a living hell becomes a pressing concern………………..worry not! Here at SPLASH we can take children from the age of 8 years old on the River Tay. A great experience for children and parents alike. Ask about our great family deals!

Give us a call or book online! See you in the sun.

The SPLASH TEAM.

Canyon Goes LARGE!!

Our Largest, Larger than life (larger that most things actually!) Head Canyon Guide ‘BIG’ Robb Wallace is back from his tour of South America and is keen to cool himself and his clients off in the sparking Scottish waters of the Keltney Burn!

This Weekend saw plenty of people testing themselves down at the ‘jump pool’. There are three main jumps that we build you up to as the guides coach you through the idiosyncrasies of walking about on the slippery rocks, squeezing through bedrock river formations, climbing up waterfalls and perfecting the difficult to master skills of Belly Flopping and Not landing on your AR…………………….. , Posterior!

The first ‘baby’ jump is around the 20ft mark, then a 25ft jump off a higher platform to really get the blood pumping, before venturing up to the really big stuff! The high jump has been measured at 36ft and for the clinically insane there is a running start off a section of the canyon wall. You can’t actually see where you are going to land, but the 40ft plus free-fall (about the height of a three storey building!) gives you plenty of time to spot your mark and plunge into the deep natural cauldron below!! AWESOME!!

The Keltney Burn is running all year (until it gets too cold Oct/Nov). If you enjoy this and want to step it up a little why not book for the Falls of Acharn Canyon trip. With an element of rope-work involved this spectacular canyon situated to the south of Loch Tay is a must for anyone who has been bitten by the Canyon Bug. BOOK NOW.

The SPLASH TEAM.

New First Aid Qualifications for Guides.

Here at SPLASH we take our responsibility for you, the client very seriously. We are constantly training and updating our procedures to stay ahead of the game.

Full Credit and sincere thanks must be given to Ocean Medical Training. Operated by Rod Cain an ex- Paratrooper with years of experience of real life trauma in a military and civilian capacity. He is a member of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a HSE & Maritime and Coastguard Agency Approved First Aid Instructor, (amongst other things!)

Rod took a number of our Trip Leaders through a comprehensive 12 hr. course in Advanced First Aid Procedure, covering every injury and ailment that we are likely to encounter during the course of our work, plus some real-time scenarios with a few surprises thrown in to keep us on our toes!

What it boils down to is that ‘Prevention is always better than Cure’, but if it comes to the crunch (no pun intended!) we want to know that you are in the best, safe and qualified hands of any team operating in the field.

A big thanks to Rod……………..THE SPLASH TEAM.

Charity Video Goes On-line

In our Quest to show everyone how diverse and multi-faceted we are here at Splash here is a link uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j-RAUWdc_o8 for all you folk wanting to run a highly profitable Charity Event. We can cater for any numbers, any ability level and any time of year. Have a look ……………then BOOK!