Paddleboarding is increasing in popularity.
After giving the water sport a try for herself, The Courier’s previously sceptical Stirling editor Alex Watson finally understands why.
Here she shares her experience of her recent maiden voyage on Stirlingshire’s Loch Lubnaig.
I won’t beat around the bush – I’ve had paddleboarding shoved down my throat for the last year.
My beloved Courier colleagues Isla Glen and Morag Lindsay have grown obsessed with the pastime, both raving about stunning scenery and relaxation benefits.
Paddleboarding involves floating on a rigid inflatable board and, you won’t be surprised to hear, propelling yourself across the water using a paddle.
Morag adores it so much that she even did it at night in the middle of winter – under professional supervision, of course.
Normally, I’d be the last person to volunteer for getting my feet wet, but I’ll admit I started to get curious.
So, when the brilliant people at Stirling’s Library of Things (housed at Stirling Reuse Hub) tell me they have a paddleboarding kit available for borrowing, I decide it’s time to take to the water and give it a go.
The Library of Things is also able to provide me with a wetsuit and a flotation device, for comfort and safety.
There’s a £50 refundable deposit for the paddleboard, but otherwise the lending charge is just £10 per day for the board and £1 per week for the life jacket.
A similar paddleboard kit would cost upwards of £200 to buy, and that’s not including the extra items.
Toughest thing about paddleboarding? Inflating the board
Safe in the knowledge that I won’t be out of pocket if I hate paddleboarding after my first try, I arrange to meet Isla and Morag at Loch Lubnaig near Callander at the eye-watering time of 8.30am on a Sunday.
We park beside The Cabin coffee shop, just off the A84.
I’m told it’s one of the most convenient parking spots for paddleboarders in the whole of Stirlingshire, and £5 for the day feels like a reasonable price.
The catch is that the car park gets busy, hence our early start.
I can’t lie to you: inflating a paddleboard by hand is an intense upper-body workout.
But the manual pump that comes with the vibrant orange Library of Things paddleboard works perfectly.
I smile through the pain while Morag inflates her board using an electric pump and snaps photos of me.
In no time at all, we’re ready to wade in.
Under Isla and Morag’s watchful and experienced eye, I float my vessel and climb aboard, kneeling in the middle.
So far, so good. I feel stable and confident enough to paddle away.
Beautiful nature with no phones and no fuss
It’s a warm summer day and we’re treated to some lovely weather throughout our boarding adventure, despite a bit of a dodgy forecast.
Loch Lubnaig is surrounded by dense forest and rocky cliffs, making for a beautiful and dramatic setting.
We head south first while I get my bearings, swapping between paddling with purpose to get some speed up and slowing down to float, chat and enjoy the view.
There are swimmers, kayakers and other paddleboarders out on the loch, too, but there’s so much space that none of us come close to getting in each other’s way.
It really is relaxing and rejuvenating – no phones, no fuss, just gorgeous nature and time with some good pals.
Versatile and freeing
We turn north and start towards the top of the long, curving loch.
Morag shows off her impressive ability to stand up on her board and, eventually, I give it a nervous, wobbly try myself.
I’m pleased to find that I don’t fall in – though I would have been perfectly safe if I had, with my borrowed flotation vest on and my board securely tethered to my ankle.
Isla prefers to sit cross-legged while she paddleboards, and I discover that kneeling suits me well, at least for now.
The loch is calm and quiet enough that we can even all take a moment to lie flat on our backs, floating serenely, looking up at the sky.
This versatility appeals to me. Aside from being safe in the water, there are no rigid rules when it comes to paddleboarding.
As long as you have the right gear, you can take to the water where, when and how you like.
And, thanks to the Library of Things, the right gear is available for virtually anyone in Stirling who wants to use it.
It strikes me that all of this makes paddleboarding an accessible hobby, and it comes with a wonderful sense of freedom.
As Isla, Morag and I paddle, drift and laugh our way across the loch, stopping on a wee beach for coffee from a flask, I finally get it. I’m a paddleboarding convert.
We spend three joyful hours on the water and only make it about halfway up Loch Lubnaig.
No matter – we’re already planning our next trip.
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