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Home
About Me
Kayak Trips
Hiking Trips
Wild Camping Advice
Kayaking Advice
Gear Talk

paddling safety

Hi, I'm Leigh and I love the outdoors! I'm a keen hiker and kayaker, as well as a BCU certified kayaking instructor and Level 3 Outdoor First Aider here in the UK.

I am an ambassador for Segla Gear kayaking paddles, and am also supported by Level Six paddling gear. I also collaborate with P&H Sea Kayaks and enthusiastically promote their beautiful boats!

I love making outdoor videos of hiking and kayaking trips, and am also a bit of an outdoors gear nerd.

If you found anything on my site particularly useful and want to show some appreciation, feel free to Buy Me A Coffee!

peakandpaddleuk

Another world? IYKYK. #projecthailmary #durdledoor

Another world? IYKYK. #projecthailmary #durdledoor #seakayaking #kayaking

An evening and night on a Scottish island ❤️ #wild

An evening and night on a Scottish island ❤️ #wildcamping #hiking #scotland #outdoorlife

Who else loves a foggy paddle? 😍 #seakayaking #kay

Who else loves a foggy paddle? 😍 #seakayaking #kayak #outdoorlife #intothewild

My latest video is now on YouTube 🙂 In the weeks f

My latest video is now on YouTube 🙂 In the weeks following my most recent surgery to fix my heart arrhythmias, I took advantage of a benign period in the forecast to paddle over to the island of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides for an overnight trip. Unfortunately the weather didn’t behave and I ended up having to paddle through very strong headwinds on the return journey, quite an unsettling experience when you’re recovering and supposed to be taking things easy. It all ended well but it was a reminder that sometimes the forecast doesn’t pan out as expected. Thankfully the fact that Loch Linnhe only has ten miles of fetch down to Lismore means the sea state wasn’t too bad, but the wind was hard work! #seakayaking #kayak #paddlelife #phseakayaks

One kayak, many journeys ❤️#seakayaking #phseakaya

One kayak, many journeys ❤️#seakayaking #phseakayaks #kayak

Good times out in Pembrokeshire with friends from

Good times out in Pembrokeshire with friends from @seakayakacademy , despite some rather windy conditions! #seakayaking #kayak #outdoorlife #vitaminsea

Just back from a few days of chilled paddling in g

Just back from a few days of chilled paddling in gorgeous Pembrokeshire #seakayaking #outdoorlife #kayaking #vitaminsea

Paddling today in Cym-Yr-Eglwys in Pembrokeshire #

Paddling today in Cym-Yr-Eglwys in Pembrokeshire #seakayaking #kayaking #vitaminsea #outdoorlife

I’ve uploaded my latest hiking video to my YouTube

I’ve uploaded my latest hiking video to my YouTube channel. Whilst I have always done “silent hiking” videos in the past, I’ve chosen to add some sparse voiceover to this one, more in line with my kayaking films. This video follows a very gentle evening hike along the eastern side of Kerrera, an island in western Scotland, and a quiet camp below the beautiful ruin of Gylen Castle. I was surrounded by wild rabbits and curious sheep, and woke to a wonderful sunrise. #wildcamping #hiking #outdoorlife

An overnighter on Lismore 🙂 #seakayaking #kayaklif

An overnighter on Lismore 🙂 #seakayaking #kayaklife #kayaking #wildcampinguk

It’s Go Paddle day today! Kayaking gives me the sp

It’s Go Paddle day today! Kayaking gives me the space to explore quiet, out of the way places, and even though I only got into it a few years ago, I cannot imagine my life without it now 🥰 #gopaddle #kayaking #kayaklife @levelsix

Paddling on Ennerdale Water this morning with @mar

Paddling on Ennerdale Water this morning with @mark_rainsley #kayaking #lakedistrict #kayak #gopaddle

It’s been three glorious weeks up in the beautiful

It’s been three glorious weeks up in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. As always, it’s so very hard to leave but I’ll be back again soon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #seakayaking #hiking #wildcamping #explorescotland

A trip to Lismore #seakayaking #kayak #kayaklife #

A trip to Lismore #seakayaking #kayak #kayaklife #outdoorlife #wildcamping

Camping beneath Gylen Castle last week was an abso

Camping beneath Gylen Castle last week was an absolute highlight of these few weeks up in the beautiful Scottish Highlands #wildcamping #scottishhighlands #kerrera #outdoorlife

This morning was beautiful paddling out on Loch Et

This morning was beautiful paddling out on Loch Etive as the tide came in. I’ll be heading home this weekend after three weeks here in the Highlands, and will greatly miss these wonderful mornings 😍 On another note, I really like the @hoverair_global Aqua. Apart from a few small initial niggles, once I got used to how it works, it’s a really good little drone that’s going to come in really handy going forward #seakayaking #kayaklife #outdoorlife #kayaking

Watching the sun rise over Ben Nevis this morning

Watching the sun rise over Ben Nevis this morning 😍 #seakayaking #kayaking #kayakadventures #bennevis

Sometimes things don’t quite go according to plan.

Sometimes things don’t quite go according to plan. I spent the night camped on Lismore and listened to the wind howling all night, when it was supposed to drop. This morning I stood and looked at the waves and reckoned I may as well just get on the water and power through it. Almost an hour of lumpy paddling as the sun came up… not something I’ll be forgetting in a hurry #seakayaking #kayakadventures #kayaking #outdoorlife

A wee school night outing over to Lismore to take

A wee school night outing over to Lismore to take advantage of the first full day of nice weather in two weeks! #seakayaking #kayak #outdoorlife #scottishhighlands

A magical evening stroll and camp on beautiful Ker

A magical evening stroll and camp on beautiful Kerrera, an island just across the water from Oban in western Scotland. Camping below the ruins of Gylen Castle was fantastic! #outdoorlife #hiking #wildcamping #adventure

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#kayaking #seakayaking #wildcamping

Having been recovering from a recent medical procedure, I was keen to get back out on the water and chose to cross over to the island of Lismore in western Scotland for an overnight sea kayaking trip. Unfortunately the weather did not pan out as forecast.

Lismore is a lovely island just off the western Scottish coast, near Oban. It’s a great destination for kayaking as there are many cool skerries and other smaller islands around it, as well as historical sites and numerous beaches to land and camp on. There’s plenty of wildlife around too, including common seals, sea eagles and otters.

Castle Stalker, which appeared in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is nearby too, and easily included in a trip to Lismore. Tides in Loch Linnhe are not especially strong, which makes trip planning a bit simpler; having said that, there are some noticeable tidal streams around the smaller islands at the north of the island. There’s also a fairly significant tide race to the south of the island, but this can potentially be avoided by tucking in behind the Eilean Musdile lighthouse around Rubha Fiart at higher states of the tide.

Most sea kayakers launch from Port Appin or from a lay-by on the A828 a short distance to the north, near the island of Shuna.

I originally paddled around Lismore in 2024, and you can watch that video here:

https://youtu.be/U-kH9XHWu-g?si=DVGpYHB_-UyQ5-OD

Unexpected Weather: Solo Sea Kayaking to Lismore, Scotland

Come along with me on a gentle evening stroll around the beautiful small island of Kerrera in western Scotland, through hills filled with wild rabbits and curious sheep.

I've kept dialogue to a minimum to focus instead on the beautiful surroundings and the peaceful feeling of being surrounded by nature.

#wildcamping #hiking #scottishcastle

Hiking and Wild Camping at a Castle on a Scottish Island | Minimal Dialogue

A solo sea kayaking and wild camping journey on Loch Etive in the Scottish Highlands. Join me on a peaceful trip along one of Scotland’s most beautiful sea lochs, as I reflect on the joy I find in sea kayaking, coastal camping, and time spent alone in nature.

Whilst editing this, I received the news that a friend had unexpectedly passed away. This film is dedicated to him. Rest in peace, Nate.

Thanks to @donnywilcox for additional footage.

#kayaking #solocamping #soloadventure

Just The Sea And Me: The Joy Of Solo Sea Kayaking

Come along with Donny and I as we spend a weekend exploring the upper reaches of Loch Awe in the Scottish Highlands, a loch full of history, islands and beautiful ruins.

Thanks to @PHSeaKayaks for lending me this Lightweight Carbon Kevlar Cetus MV for my trip! This is my favourite long distance kayak, and I've owned two of them myself. They're especially good for photography/videography as they're almost ludicrously stable.

And thanks to @donnywilcox for the great company, additional footage and wonderful music. You can see his video of this trip here: https://youtu.be/SERtz37yKP8?si=qGN9w485-46TwD8n

00:00 Intro
00:40 Preparing to Launch
01:15 Getting on the Water
02:15 Eilean Beith
02:42 Froach Eilean
03:50 Badan Tomain
04:21 Lochawe Village
05:18 Kilchurn Castle
06:54 Inishail
07:56 A Garden of Stone
08:57 Evening
10:22 Morning
10:51 A Stunning Temperature Inversion
11:31 Unexpected Weather
12:37 The Black Isles
13:22 A Crannog
13:48 Heading Back

#kayakadventures #kayaking #wildcamping

Castles & Islands: Kayak Camping On Loch Awe

Come along with me for a bit of exploring around the islands in the south of Loch Lomond, followed by a couple of days of rather rainy camping on Inchconnachan, otherwise known as "Wallaby Island”.

This is what I’d call a very slow adventure. We all need one from time to time.

Thanks to P&H Sea Kayaks for the loan of this gorgeous Cetus MV in Lightweight Kevlar Carbon Infusion layup. The very low weight of this high performance kayak makes solo trips like this a lot easier!

Recording of The Bonnie Banks Of Loch Lomond sung by Barbara Ann Macdonald, used with permission.

00:00 Intro
01:00 Launch at Luss
02:40 The Islands
06:50 Inchconnachan Shore
07:25 Coffee Time
09:05 Good Morning
10:30 The Joy Of Solitude
12:20 The Second Morning
13:05 Preparing To Leave

I use @segla-gear paddles and @LevelSixInc paddling gear.

#kayakadventure #kayakcamping #wildcamping #lochlomond

My Own Island: Winter Kayak Camping On Loch Lomond

Come along on an absolutely perfect weekend of paddling and camping in one of my favourite places, the beautiful Loch Etive in western Scotland. This film is a love letter to both kayaking, as well as the outdoors and how it makes me feel, and I hope it resonates with all of you.

I was joined on this trip by @donnywilcox and you can watch his video of the trip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJL3buRzBts

I paddled the P&H Volan 158 sea kayak for this trip, a perfect weekender kayak for the mid sized paddler.

1:00 Taynuilt
4:50 Rubha Barr
6:24 Day Two
7:17 Walk Up The Glen
8:40 Heading Up The Loch
11:37 Aird Trilleachan
13:48 Ruins at Inverghiusachan
14:43 Evening Light
16:20 Day Three
17:45 Heading Back Down The Loch
19:00 The Seals Of Inverliver

#seakayaking #wildcamping #kayakadventure

Being Here: Winter Sea Kayaking and Camping in the Scottish Highlands

When I made my first video last summer, I never would have thought that many people would want to watch a shy, 40-something woman paddling and ambling around, so thank you to everyone who tuned in to watch in 2025! Here is my end of year highlight reel.

I used to think you had to go off on big expeditions to have adventures, but anyone can have a micro adventure. Just plan your route, pack your bag, and go out there. Disconnect from the hustle and bustle, and go find yourself again 😄

Stop Scrolling and Go Outside #microadventures #wildcamping #kayaking

A quiet, gentle weekend enjoying the two western valleys of Great Langdale, following the paths through Oxendale and Mickleden, hiking amidst autumn colours, the sound of the rivers and the shifting clouds.

Conditions on the first day sadly cut filming short in the late afternoon, and persistently poor weather for the rest of the weekend presented some challenges, but I hope that this video will fill you with a sense of peace and calm. Mickleden, in particular, is one of my favourite parts of the Lake District, and the atmospheric conditions throughout the Saturday were absolutely wonderful, really showcasing the last days of autumn.

If you enjoy my videos, you can buy me a coffee to support me! 🙂
https://buymeacoffee.com/peakandpaddleuk

#hiking #thelakedistrict #wildcamping

Gentle, Silent Hiking in the Lake District | Great Langdale

A gentle sea kayaking outing along one of my favourite sections of the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast, launching from Cwm-Yr-Eglwys and paddling into Newport Bay. Calm swells, rugged cliffs, and good company made for a perfect day on the water.

If you enjoy my videos, you can buy me a coffee to support me! 🙂
https://buymeacoffee.com/peakandpaddleuk

#seakayaking #pembrokeshire #kayaking

Sea Kayaking around Cwm-Yr-Eglwys in Newport Bay | Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales

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