Water of Ruchill
Kayak spot · UK
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
53Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 3 kn gusting 7, Air 9 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 55 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 52 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Fri 6 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sat 7 · 52 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 51 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 45 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 259, fair
- Tue 358, fair
- Wed 455, fair
- Thu 552, fair
- Fri 653, fair
- Sat 752, fair
- Sun 851, fair
- Mon 945, fair
- Tue 1050, fair
- Wed 1146, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIits hardest rapid IV+
- Moving waterthe water
- Best in Jul7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 59, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 58, fair | 3 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 55, fair | 6 kn | 14kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 52, fair | 7 kn | 18kn | 7°C | 0.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 53, fair | 7 kn | 15kn | 7°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 52, fair | 2 kn | 9kn | 6°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 51, fair | 1 kn | 6kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 45, fair | 2 kn | 6kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 50, fair | 3 kn | 10kn | 5°C | 1.5 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 46, fair | 8 kn | 26kn | 6°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 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
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 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
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
Water of Ruchill 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.
Photos of Water of Ruchill
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Kelty Water 9.4 km away
- Keltie Water 10.2 km away
- Keltie Bridge 11.2 km away
- Teith 11.8 km away
- Drumvaich 12.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Water of Ruchill
A river section on the Water of Ruchill, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, its hardest rapid IV+, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 37 km away. For grade III paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Callander.
- River Water of Ruchill
- Grade Grade III, its hardest rapid IV+, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 37 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: Callander
about 25 min by car · 39 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Callander 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 13h 20m
About 13h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → EDI, direct, then 1h 25m 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 Callander · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Callander · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits