Spean (Upper)
Kayak spot · UK
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 2 kn gusting 5, Air 8 °C
Tue 3 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 71 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sun 8 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 281, good
- Tue 381, good
- Wed 476, good
- Thu 571, good
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 876, good
- Mon 974, good
- Tue 1072, good
- Wed 1131, poor
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 3.9 kmthe section
- Best in Jul7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 81, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 81, good | 2 kn | 5kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 76, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 71, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 6°C | 0.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 3 kn | 7kn | 5°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 76, good | 1 kn | 5kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 74, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 2 kn | 11kn | 3°C | 3.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 31, poor | 7 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 4°C | 0 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 new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 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
Spean (Upper) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
4 places
- Roy (Lower) 8.4 km away
- River Roy 9.5 km away
- Spean (Middle) 10.2 km away
- Roy (Gorge) 10.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Spean (Upper)
A river section on the River Spean, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 3.9 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away. For new paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 7 good days in 7; in February, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Roy Bridge.
- River River Spean
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 3.9 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 15 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: Roy Bridge
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 20 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Roy 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 14h 35m
About 14h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EDI, direct, then 2h 40m by road
Flights ORD → EDI on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Roy Bridge · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Roy Bridge · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Bla Bheinn 15 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