The SUP-it List for Stand Up Paddleboarding

What is a SUP-it List?

What’s a SUP-it list? Glad you asked!! A SUP-it List is like a Bucket List only it’s a list of places that you would like to go Stand Up Paddleboarding.  If you are anything like me, any time you are out travelling about the countryside at home or abroad you are always on the lookout for awesome places to take your Stand Up Paddleboard. Paddleboarding is such a diverse passion that you can do it pretty much anywhere there is water (although I have also seen people use them on snow!?). And there is no shortage of options around the world to add to your SUP-it List.

A SUP-it List is a place to record all of these places of inspiration so that you don’t forget them. Having a SUP-it List also helps you plan your Stand Up Paddleboarding adventures so you can transform them from ‘Some Day’ into ‘Today’!

My SUP-it List

My SUP-it List is an organic and ever changing as I find new places to go Stand Up Paddleboarding. Each time I find a new SUP-worthy location it gets a little bit longer! Here’s my current list so far. I tend to like to do some work on it at the beginning of each year. This way I can update it, keep inspired and ensure that it still aligns with my SUP goals. It’s a work in progress;

Loch Dockart

Lock Dochart lies up stream from the famous Dochart Falls in the picturesque village of Killin. There is the romantic ruins of Dochart Castle on an island in the western end of the loch which is just begging to be explored. Its a bit hard to see in the photo but there is quite a bit of SUPable water surrounding the castle.

Loch Tay

Loch Tay Is a beautiful loch which I have loved for ages. It is a large loch and has the Scottish landscapes sense of gravitas but without the dramatic starkness of Loch Ness.  It is an easy day trip distance from either Glasgow or Edinburgh. If you are a gin lover and want to try your hand at distilling your own gin you can add on Stand Up Paddleboarding foraging for your gin botanicals!

Loch Ness

Loch Ness has to be on most peoples SUP-it List. It has to be one of the most famous Lochs in Scotland. Loch Ness is probably home to one of the worlds most famous monsters – the Loch Ness Monter!! I actually find the idea of paddling on Loch Ness quite daunting.

On the one hand I think it would be one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ events. On the other, when you are actually there and looking at the sheer size of the loch, and how deep it is, and how cold it is, and how long you’ve got before freezing to death if you fall in the water, and that there may or may not be a mythological creature which might want to play bump the SUPer off their board and freak them the hell out… OK I have an overactive imagination. Anyone interested in paddling Loch Ness can enter the Great Glen Challenge which is an enduro race. After all safety in numbers right?

Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhe – SUP’d IT!!

Stalker Castle in a wee corner of Loch Lihnne has long been on my SUP-it List. I first discovered it while googling ‘Places to SUP in Scotland’ when I was still living in Australia. There was something about the beautiful castle perched on a small island in what looked to be protected waters that was just calling to me. And I am pleased to say – I’ve SUP’d it!!

The Kelpies

The Kelpies are two stunning metal sculptures of mythical horses of the waterways (known as Kelpies). They are 30 meters tall and guard the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal near the River Carron. There is a visitor centre and leisure park nearby and of course the canal to paddle in. Certainly worth visiting for a sensational SUP Selfie. Paddlefast who are suppliers of Red Stand Up Paddleboards in Scotland run SUP trial sessions regularly at the Kelpies so if you don’t have your board with you, you can rent one from them! If you visit in the evening there is a beautiful light show where the colours transition through all shades of the rainbow.

The Falkirk Wheel – SUP’d IT!

This is not something I ever thought we would get to do. Stand Up Paddleboarding on the Falkirk Wheel! But there is an event named Lock and Paddle which runs a challenge to see how many paddlers can fit onto the wheel at one time. The Falkirk Wheel lifts vessels from the Clyde and Forth Canal 24 meters to the Union Canal creating a waterway from Glasgow and the West Coast of Scotland to Edinburgh in the East.

Seine River

The only way to paddle on the Seine River past the famous Parisian icons such as the Eiffle Tower is to be part of the Nautic Paddle race. There are a couple of categories so you don’t have to be a pro SUP racer but you do have to have medical confirmation that you are fit enough for the event.

The Canals of Venice

To have the opportunity to paddle the beautiful canals of Venice who better to show you around than a local? You can do a tour with SUP in Venice who will guide you along the hidden parts of the city that tourists don’t usually get to see. With different regulations regarding which canals are able to have stand up paddle boarders on them getting professional guidance is a stress free way to go. The great thing is that you don’t even need to have paddled before.

North Coast 500

The North Coast 500 is a scenic drive as the name suggests around the remote North Coast of Scotland. There are so many places to stop and paddle on the way and all have made it onto my SUP-it List. Find out some of these locations here. As it stands there are still some parts we haven’t explored yet and a lot we haven’t paddled but stay tuned!

Clyde and Forth Canal – Currently SUPing in sections

The Clyde and Forth Canal links the east and west coasts of Scotland from the Firth of Clyde in the West to the Firth of Forth in the East. We are currently paddling across Scotland in sections and there is a lot to see along the way. Check out our posts for our progress so far.

Outer Hebrides – SUP’d IT!!

The Outer Hebrides of Scotland have some pretty stunning beaches. Most people in Scotland will tell you that it is a little like having the Caribbean on their doorstep, without the weather of course! We did a road trip and had a great time paddling along the way, but I would love to go back for more!

Making a SUP-it List for places you would like to go Stand Up Paddleboarding is a great way to ensure you get to explore some of the worlds most beautiful places. Whether your SUP-it list is for Stand UP Paddleboarding locations near where you live or the other side of the world it can be fun to dream up your next adventure.

How to make a SUP-it List

Want some help in creating your own SUP-it List? Check out our post and download our free template. The instructions and SUP-it list 2021 template can be found here.