These days, most people are probably wondering what their vacation will look like this year. Many are planning to stay at home and do a lot of sports in the great outdoors. Our idea for this is stand up paddle boarding. This works great at home on the lake. Here is our secret advice for a dream vacation: Stand Up Paddling in Scotland.
Exercise in the Fresh Air
What kind of vacations will we be able to take in the coming months? Staying in weekend apartments instead of in huge hotel castles seems to make sense, hiking in lonely areas, cycling tours through our own country instead of long flights to exotic destinations. In times of social distancing and curfews, people are discovering outdoor sports activities for themselves, even if by taking more walks in front of their own doorstep.
Keeping Distance Made Easy: Stand Up Paddling
Anyway, we have a brilliant idea for the holiday season to help you avoid crowds at popular excursion destinations, crowded beaches, and crowded shopping streets. The sport of our choice, which combines distance rules and leisure fun like no other is Stand Up Paddling. The athlete stands upright on the SUP board and paddles with an oar.
Developing Trend Sport Stand Up Paddling
How did the trend sport stand up paddle boarding grow? Different influences played a role. Polynesian fishermen, for example, have been paddling their canoes standing up for centuries. In Asia, too, paddles are used on one-man bamboo rafts in addition to poles. In the 20th century, surfers off of Hawaii developed the technique of moving faster from the shore towards the perfect wave while standing on their surfboards with the help of a paddle. Surfing instructors also used this method to give their students tips from a raised position. At the beginning of the 21st century, inflatable boards were developed, which made transport much easier and led to stand up paddling becoming an increasingly popular leisure sport. Meanwhile, there are even competitions.
Insider tip: Explore Scotland with the SUP board
Stand-up paddlers at Loch Duich, in the background Eilean Donan Castle ©lookphotos/Franz Marc Frei
The big advantage: Stand Up Paddling not only works at the sea but also on rivers and lakes. It should always be possible to find some suitable water in the immediate vicinity. We don’t know yet when trips to a country other than your own will be possible. But dreaming must be allowed… For example, Look photographer Franz Marc Frei has an insider tip for stand up paddling that might not come to the mind of all passionate stand-up paddlers at first glance: Scotland. But wrongly so, as a glance at the map shows.
Fantastic Waters for Stand up Paddlers
Scotland is not only surrounded by the sea, it is virtually saturated in water. The 10,000 kilometers of coastline on the mainland are joined by 16,500 kilometers of island coastline, 27,000 freshwater lakes, and 12,500 kilometers of rivers. There are romantic bays and mysterious lakes amid the breathtaking Highlands in Scotland. Countless dreamlike waters are waiting to be explored by stand-up paddlers.
So, off into the cool water! And do not forget: Always keep a board length distance…
Discover Scotland with the SUP board
Stand up paddle boarding on Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris ©lookphotos/Franz Marc Frei
Cover: ©lookphotos / Franz Marc Frei / 71323554
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