Racecourse
Kayak spot · UK
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
60Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: Wind 5 kn gusting 11, Air 11 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Mon 2 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Sun 8 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 165, good
- Mon 262, good
- Tue 361, good
- Wed 460, good
- Thu 558, fair
- Fri 660, good
- Sat 756, fair
- Sun 856, fair
- Mon 952, fair
- Tue 1057, fair
The spot in four facts
- Grade III+at its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 2 kmthe section
- Best in Jul6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 65, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 62, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 61, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 60, good | 5 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 58, fair | 8 kn | 22kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 60, good | 4 kn | 8kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 56, fair | 4 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 1.2 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 56, fair | 3 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 52, fair | 3 kn | 10kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 57, fair | 6 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 2.7 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Jul
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Racecourse on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Racecourse
A river section on the River Leven, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III to III+, on the international scale. It runs 2.0 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.6 km away. For grade III paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Newby Bridge. Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot and 1 kayak spot.
- River River Leven
- Grade Grade III to III+, on the international scale.
- Length 2.0 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.6 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,390–US$2,590 each
about US$1,390–US$2,590 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$422–US$884 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$322–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$188–US$348 |
| Total | about US$1,390–US$2,590 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Newby Bridge
1 min by car · 22 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Newby Bridge its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 15h 30m
About 15h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EDI, direct, then 3h 35m by road
Flights ORD → EDI on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Newby Bridge · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Newby Bridge · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Stoked 1.6 km
Windermere Canoe Kayak 9.9 km
Lune Access/Egress 25 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits