Scotland offers unbeatable opportunities for SUP (stand up paddleboarding), but knowing where to start can be difficult. Having lived in Glasgow, Scotland for 5 years and then another stint of 6 months in Perthshire, when I spent nearly every weekend and day off exploring SUP locations, we’ve used our our paddleboards in a lot of places - here’s the most memorable experiences, and whether we would recommend them… or not! 

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Safety and things to bear in mind with SUP 

• I don’t want to sound like your Mum but with SUP, we are dealing with open water and safety is a priority, along with a bit of common sense!

• Lots of people will buy a cheap SUP and just think they can launch anywhere and it’ll be fine. Years ago, we started with a proper SUP lesson and it was definitely the right move - learning how to get yourself out of difficulty and how to actually manoeuvre properly was essential. 

• Buoyancy aids - I am guilty of not wearing one on a canal or calm loch/lake, but I will always wear one at the beach or on the sea. I like the fit of this one (just check the sizing as they do come up small), but you can get more traditional ones like this too. 

• Blue/green algae - during summer months, many Scottish lochs will have algae blooms - this can be toxic if ingested. I’m not saying you’re likely to deliberately drink the water but the risk is just best avoided. Loch Leven near Edinburgh is particularly bad for this - we’ve planned to SUP here and decided against it on arrival in the past more than once, due to the algae.

Weather Conditions 

SUPs are extremely susceptible to weather conditions, particularly on the coast. For years, I’ve used Windy.app which has accurate weather data relevant to watersports - wind direction, speed, tides and swell (surf/waves). As a general rule of thumb, I won’t take the SUP to the coast if the wind speed is 12 knots or more (especially in an offshore direction), or if the swell is above 1.5m. Even inland, it’s generally not enjoyable if the wind speed is above 10 knots. Windy.app has honestly been a life saver - use our code SLTM31 via this link to get the pro version for free for 1 month.

1. Loch Lomond 

Easily accessible from Glasgow, Loch Lomond holds a special place in my heart. Launching from Balmaha, you can paddle over to Inchcailloch island, and right around it. On the far side of the island, there’s a lovely secluded beach - perfect for a lunch stop. You do need pretty perfect weather - we paddled in a light wind and it was tough going in one direction. 

Parking: Conic Hill Car Park or the Balmaha Bunkhouse car park

Amenities: There are toilets at the Conic Hill visitor centre (combine your paddle with a hike for a stunning panoramic view of Loch Lomond). St Mocha Cafe is nearby too. Inchcailloch itself is uninhabited, but there are some compost toilets on the island. If you have time for exploring, there’s ruins on the island too. 

2. Tay Estuary, Broughty Ferry

This was… an experience. We actually joined an unofficial SUP group for this adventure. Now, the Tay estuary is huge and currents are unpredictable due to it being tidal. The plan was to paddle from Broughty Ferry beach over to the south bank to see a colony of seals. The first part of this went to plan, it was a beautiful day, we reached the south shore and saw some seals. 

Getting back was the issue - whether the currents changed, we had underestimated them, or we had taken longer than expected, I don’t know. But the paddle back was absolutely brutal. My husband and I actually ended up tying our boards together and trying to synchro our kneeled paddling as we were so exhausted battling against the current. It was one of those moments where the beach doesn’t seem to ever come any closer, your muscles are screaming, but you’re scared that if if you stop, you’ll certainly get taken out to sea. It’s one of the only times I have thought “We’re going to have to call the coastguard.” Luckily, we didn’t have to, and we finally got back to Broughty Ferry. 

Lessons learned - don’t underestimate tidal estuary currents. I was 100% grateful that I was wearing my buoyancy aid and had my phone in a waterproof dry bag attached to my board - two absolute non-negotiable for sea trips. 

Parking: Broughty Ferry

Amenities: There are public toilets at the beach car park, and lots of cafes/restaurants in the town. 

3. Loch Ness, Highlands

We were extremely lucky to be able to paddleboard on Loch Ness, as it can be notoriously rough, even for small boats, let alone SUPs. But that day, it was so calm. We launched from a lay-by just north of Fort Augustus, but unfortunately, the last time we drove past, this lay-by was closed off. However, you definitely can launch right by the infamous “Loch Ness” sign at Fort Augustus - you’ll just have to park in the town and walk a bit with your SUP. Alternatively, you could launch from the northern end of the loch, at Dores beach.

Amenities: there are plenty of cafes and public toilets in Fort Augustus.

Parking: Fort Augustus

4. Stonehaven beach, Aberdeenshire 

Now, I think the incident at Broughty Ferry may have scarred me a bit for paddle boarding on the sea - since then, I’ve been a bit of a wimp and don’t like going too far out. But in this case, it was 100% worth it, and another lesson in adapting to conditions and surprises!  

We had originally intended to try to paddle from the harbour around the headland to Dunnottar Cliffs to see some caves. We found the wind a bit challenging once we left Stonehaven harbour but saw a fellow paddle boarder heading in the same direction ahead of us. Just as I was getting a bit fed up of the hard work and thinking we might need to abandon our quest, the paddle boarder in front sharply changed direction, so we turned to see where he was headed - and saw some fins breaching the surface! 

We altered course to take a closer look and were met with a huge pod of 20-30 dolphins. I stood up to get a better look, and one of them came right up behind me - the shock made me topple right into the sea. I scrambled back onto the safety of my board, again thankful for my buoyancy aid, and did have an intrusive thought of “wait, what if dolphins aren’t actually that friendly and try to drag us under.” But the phenomenon was over as quickly as it began, and the dolphins continued on their way. 

Now, you obviously can’t be guaranteed a dolphin sighting if you paddle board here, but it was pretty special. I would definitely recommend this location and I’m keen to go back and explore the caves if conditions are right.

Parking: Street parking along the beachfront.  

Amenities: There is now a mobile sauna at the harbour if you fancy warming up after/before your paddle! Book here. There are cafes/restaurants along the seafront. 

5. Loch of Clunie, Blairgowrie 

This was the perfect little solo adventure. This secluded little loch just outside of Blairgowrie has a very small island with some castle ruins. The loch is small but very enjoyable for a peaceful couple of hours paddling and it’s fun to explore the island. 

Parking: there is a Loch and Church carpark, but I parked on the roadside. 

Amenities: this is a bit remote, so there aren’t any toilets, but it’s only an 8 minute drive to Blairgowrie. 

6. Loch Muick, Cairngorms 

This place was seriously beautiful, but requires a bit more effort to get there. The nearest point of the loch is about a 15-20 minute walk from the carpark so you’re going to need to carry or wheel your SUP a fair distance. However, it’s absolutely worth it. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time here, and only had 2 boards between a group of 4 of us, but I absolutely could have spent the whole day here. 

Parking: Spittal of Glenmuick car park - the location is a bit unclear online, here’s the exact spot on Google Maps or what3words.

Amenities: Toilets at the car park 

7. Loch Shiel 

I don’t know why this isn’t more popular for paddleboarders. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, this is also the filming location for the Black Lake and is opposite the Glenfinnan viaduct. Even if you’re not a train enthusiast or Harry Potter nerd, the area is undeniably beautiful. I’ve been lucky enough to SUP here when the lake was a glass-like level of calm - those mountain reflections! And that was in October. Even so, I absolutely love this area and its always stunning, no matter what time of year you visit. 

Parking: The Glenfinnan viaduct carpark can get busy, but there’s usually space. 

Amenities: There’s a cafe, shop and toilets at the Glenfinnan visitor centre, right next to the car park. 

8. Loch Tay, Kenmore, Perthshire

Popular in good weather, but it’s easy to see why. Launch from the beach at the eastern point of the loch (Kenmore). There’s quite a lot of lodges and hotels dotted around the loch, including at least one with a slide directly into the water! 

Parking: There’s a small carpark and a lay-by parking at the eastern point of the Loch. Failing that, park in Kenmore village. 

Amenities: There’s public toilets across the road from the lay-by. There’s a posh farm shop and a couple of fancy restaurants, but otherwise, there’s not much about here. 

9. Loch Morlich, Cairngorms

We camped at Glenmore, and could launch the SUPs right from the campsite. (We also did some hiking and visited the Cairgorm reindeer herd - see more on our Scotland 2 week itinerary). It was convenient and the Cairngorms made for a stunning backdrop, but it was midgey-hell on earth! It’s really one of the only times we’ve experienced midges to that degree, but that can’t really be helped in Scotland sometimes, especially beside the water. 

Parking - we launched from Glenmore campsite, but there are a couple of car parks along the north side of the loch. 

Amenities - the Pine Marten bar is right near the car park that’s close the Glenmore campsite. The Glenmore Forest park visitor centre has a cafe and toilets too. 

10. Loch Ore, Lochore Meadows Country Park, Fife.

This small loch tends to be quite busy - it’s very accessible from Edinburgh and is popular with locals for dog walking, swimming and paddle boarding. It’s also a park run location! So be prepared to have plenty of company at weekends. It’s very beginner friendly - for us, it was a great meet up spot with a friend but not particularly adventurous. 

Parking - Lochore Meadows Country Park

Amenities - cafe and toilets on site

Other SUP recommendations/thoughts

We actually went paddle boarding on a private loch in Scotland on my hen weekend, and it was fab. It was so serene and quiet being the only group there. For many of my friends, it was their first time, and by the end of the session, they were all standing! As a more experienced paddle boarder, I also got to try more advanced skills like racing turns (and yes, I did end up in the loch!). The experience was organised through Ocean Vertical, who offer many other outdoor activities too. The girls who led our trip were lovely and far cooler than me - Molly has submitted Everest twice! 

Gear recommendations for SUP 

• The boards we have are Fatstick - a British brand offering insane quality and a sustainable ethos. The SUP bags are great too, with wheels and straps for versatility. We absolutely love this brand and have had 3 different boards over the years between us. 

• Silencer - I was given this as a gift and honestly, this little device saves your ears when deflating your SUP! 

• Wet suit booties - these are a game charger, and help keep your feet warm as well as protecting against rocks on the shore when launching. 

• Wetsuit - essential for coastal adventures, especially in the UK - even in the summer, the water is COLD. 

• Phone pouch - taking your phone is essential for safety, so keep it dry and safe in a phone pouch like this, or store in a dry bag like this one. 

See our storefront for all our recommended SUP gear in one place here!

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