17 Jun 2021
Tags: UK Adventure, Staycation, Scotland, River Tay, expedition, packrafting, hiking, Hiking holidays, UK
Media Release: 17th June 2021
EXPEDITION: Source to Sea: River Tay, Scotland
DATES: 18th – 25th September
PRICE: £1349
Real Adventure on Home Ground; Secret Compass Launches New Dates for UK Based Expedition
Adventure specialist Secret Compass has launched new dates for their ‘Source to Sea’ expedition in Scotland in response to high demand for UK based expeditions.
‘Source to Sea’ is the first fully fledged expedition that Secret Compass has run in the UK, however this is no easy ride. Kicking off with a summit of Ben Lui to find the source of the river, the team will be fully self-supported as they make their way across the country on their packrafting journey. Teammates can expect to discover what they're made of on this multi-discipline expedition.
The aim of this epic expedition is to follow the River Tay on its journey across Scotland from its source on the flanks of Ben Lui in the west to its tidal limit at Perth in the east. Starting on foot, the team will complete as much as the journey as possible on the water once the river becomes navigable, only portaging the largest of the River Tay’s rapids.
At 188 km long the River Tay is Scotland’s longest river, almost bisecting the whole country from Ben Lui to where it flows into the North Sea at Dundee. The team will follow it for 140 km, using expedition packrafts, until reaching its tidal limit at Perth.
Exploring mountains, moorland, lochs and rivers, this is a fully fledged Secret Compass expedition in the UK and a chance to live out an epic Scottish hiking and packrafting adventure.
Secret Compass’ expert guide Tom Mclay says, “I really love the journeying element of this expedition; packing just the essentials as we travel both on foot and by packraft east across Scotland, seeing the wilderness from river level and feeling the river grow under our boats.”
Previous teammate, Anna Fuschia Scott says, “Part of the fun of this trip was pushing ourselves and finding we’re able to go further than we thought, which is a pleasant surprise especially after a year in lockdown. Plus, it’s a wonderful way to take in your surroundings.”
Highlights:
- Complete a challenging cross-Scotland expedition
- A source to sea descent of Scotland’s longest river
- Summit Ben Lui, 1130 m
- Follow the River Tay from the rugged highlands to wooded valleys and moorlands
- Learn to packraft and negotiate up to grade 2-3 rapids
For professional photography by Rupert Shanks please see: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i7czha6z863uttm/AABWAaFtPuNYu2weYnKralzra?dl=0
For further information on the Scotland expedition, see: https://secretcompass.com/expedition/scotland-trekking-packrafting-expedition/
For further press information, please contact claire@secretcompass.com.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Secret Compass is a pioneering expedition company creating world-first experiences for teams of like-minded adventurers. Through group and bespoke adventures, Secret Compass helps each team member achieve the extraordinary in the world’s wildest places. Founded by ex-British Army Parachute Regiment officers, its expeditions reach the planet’s most remote regions. Secret Compass is passionate about returning tourism to post-conflict zones and emerging economies to stimulate local development and challenge preconceptions.
Adventure travel and expedition destinations for 2022 include Panama’s Darien Gap, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kamchatka, Sinai, Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor and Sudan.
Specialist Film and TV services
Secret Compass also takes film crews, journalists and photographers to remote and previously inaccessible areas thanks to its unrivalled location management expertise. Clients to date include the BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Channel 4, in countries from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan.
Press enquiries: 020 7096 8428
