Scottish Sea Kayaking

Doug CooperDoug has spent his entire life involved with the outdoors. At age seven he was introduced to scrambling amongst the Lakeland mountains, and first sat in a kayak at thirteen. Since these early days it has become Doug's career as well as his first love on a day off. Through work and play it has led to expeditions and trips to many of the remoter corners of the world. At present Doug is based at Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre, Glenmore Lodge. Here Doug is Head of Paddlesports working as a Level 5 Sea and Inland Coach, as well as a Mountain Instructor. It is in this work that he realises his real passion, which is coaching and introducing people to an activity and an environment that has given him so much over the years. Doug has been exploring the Scottish coastline in a sea kayak since 1990 and in this time has grown to love this amazing natural environment. Through work and play he has also sea kayaked many other fantastic areas of the United Kingdom. In addition to this he has enjoyed expeditions to Greenland, Norway and Iceland using the sea kayak to explore the coastlines and cultures. As long as he is in the outdoors coaching, exploring and learning, then there is nowhere else he would rather be.George ReidGeorge is known to many outdoor folk through his work with Glenmore Lodge (Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre) that has spanned a period of 20 years. He became an International Mountain Guide (IFMGA) in 1987, subsequently working in the European Alps and the Canadian Rockies guiding rock and ice climbs, making ascents of Alpine peaks and leading ski mountaineering trips. Despite being introduced to sea and river kayaking at school in Edinburgh during the mid 80's, George focused his attentions on mountaineering. It was not until 1996, when at Glenmore Lodge, that George was exposed to the scope of sea kayaking.It was his wife Catriona who suggested that George should A"join the dotsA". She bought him a map of Scotland, pencilled in the trips done, and that in turn focussed the weekends and holidays for the next few years until a continuous line appeared on the map around the mainland of Scotland. If there is one thread that links all George's adventures it is an appreciation of nature. His knowledge of the flora and fauna, be it on the mountain or the sea, is well known and one of the greatest pleasures he receives is when he can share these experiences with other people.