Water and Scotland is a match made in heaven. With some of the most spectacular water sports locations in Europe and a constant supply of the wet stuff, Scotland has the best adventure opportunities you can find in the UK. Whether you are kayaking a grade 5 river in full spate or surfing some of Europe's best tubes in the Outer Hebrides you won't be disappointed.

Take a closer look at Scotland's water sports..

Adventure Tubing

If you have ever floated around the water in an old car or tractor tube inner then here we go with another great idea - though a little more extreme. Purpose built tubes are reinforced to take the knocks and handles at the ready to steady yourself during your white knuckle ride and carry you on your adventure.

You will navigate your way through steep gorges, lowering on ropes, jumping off cliffs, traversing tricky sloopes and riding the white water. Pulse racing stuff not to be experienced anywhere else.

Body Boarding

Bodyboarding is one of the fastest growing watersports in Europe, over half of Spain, France and Portugal¿s wave riders use a bodyboard not a surfboard! Why? Because its cheaper to get your first board, its easy to use public transport, bodyboarders consistently catch more waves and most importantly it¿s a lot of fun! The sky's the limit literally as you progress with acrobatics and deep tubes common place.

Canyoning

Not for the fainthearted, canyoning is a white water ride down gorges and waterfalls. Participants run down wet slabs of rock, jump off blind escarpments, scramble up rocks and abseil down drops. You get fully kitted out before you go with helmets and wetsuits so you're well protected. What better way to wipe the cobwebs away than by plunging off waterfalls into cold water!

Coasteering is known as the saltwater cousin of canyoning, being very similar in that you're going to get very wet and have an excellent time jumping off cliffs in to the sea.

Diving Sub-Aqua

Scotland is one of the top ten diving destinations in the world due to the wreckages of the German fleet which were 'scuttled' at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, in 1918. We may not have the warm waters or the tropical fish of the Southern Hemisphere but we more than make up for it with 2 million year old reefs, shipwrecks, inquisitive seals and great dive schools.

Dry suits are usually required for diving in Scotland, but the majority of dive schools hire out the gear as part of a package.

Kayak Surfing

For many the world of kayak surfing is specialised and sometimes misunderstood. It's an inspirational sport with a keen and talented following. The beaches and reefs around Scotland providing stunning backdrops to everything from family fun to committed training and competition. In the last few years these shores have produced no less than 3 World Champions!

If you're a kayaker who is new to the sport of surfing there is much to be learnt, and the process is exhilarating. Modern surf kayaks are designed to allow the pilot to ride a wave at high speed and in a similar way to a boardsurfer. If you're a kayaker who can handle themselves on a river or in a Sea Boat then the surf zone could be for you.

Kite Surfing

With the large open and un-crowded sandy beaches, short summer nights, clear waters and some of the best surf conditions in the UK, Scotland is fast becoming a must visit destination for kitesurf junkies. The sport effectively combines windsurfing, wakeboarding, surfing, paragliding and power kiting and involves using a large re-launchable kite to power you on the water on a small surfboard.

Think about wakeboarding without a boat or surfing without the need to paddle. Providing you have wind and some water you have a huge three-dimensional playground to enjoy.

Open Canoeing

Scotland has one of the best locations in the world for canoeing. With over 800 islands awaiting discovery and with sea lochs and whitewater rivers, the open canoe has to be one of the most versatile ways of travelling. The open canoe, originating in North America, can be paddled solo with a friend or family. With it's fantastic load carrying ability, the canoe is the ideal journeying craft, giving the opportunity to undertake a short trip or a multi day expedition. Great for exploring those islands!

Power Boating

You don't need to splash out on a boat to take to the sea, as there are numerous schools and centres teaching boat handling skills that won't cost you big bucks. It means that various parts of Scotland are now accessible and if you find enjoyment in skimming at speed across the sea or appreciate the freedom that driving a boat brings, then click on to activity providers to get your full listing of boat companies.

River Bugging

The river bug was historically put through its paces in NZ, and has now become a regular on the menu of the adventure centres in Scotland.

River bugs looks like hi-tec, blow up armchairs and are a great way to play on the river if you want that little bit more excitement. They are a single person craft, made up of inflatable chambers behind and beside the user, (known as a "bugger"). These chambers ensure that you stay on top of the water, while extra padding turns colliding with rocks into a low impact dodgems ride. After learning a few basic skills, you will be able to run the rapids, catch eddies, surf standing waves and even pirouette!

Sea Kayaking

No vessel allows you to see the sea quite so up close as a kayak. In a kayak you are not so much on the sea as of it. Scotland is one of the top destinations in the world for sea kayaking as not only does it boast awesome coastal scenery but it also has incredible marine and bird life.

" It's not unknown for the occasional seal to surface and play with the toggles at the end of your sea kayak. or even to paddle within hearing distance of whales and porpoises" Doug Cooper, Kayak instructor Glenmore lodge. It's little wonder that it provokes descriptions of "magical experiences" and "unforgettable holidays."

Surfing

For many surfers based in the UK the 5 mm neoprene wetsuit has probably been the greatest invention ever created. Its what keeps the cold out when the waves are at their best, normally mid winter! Surfing in Scotland is a totally exhilarating experience, and once tried its hard to fight off the bug to give it a go again and again.

Once the first rush of cold is over, it makes little difference whether you're in Hawaii or Machrihanish, as Scotland has some of the best surf conditions in the UK. For those less energetic it's also its also a fantastic way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon, especially to wipe away those hangovers!

Wakeboarding

The next generation of board sports wakeboarding is essentially like snowboarding on water. To be able to stay buoyant is the main objective as you are pulled along at between 18 and 23 miles per hour behind a boat or cable!

Wakeboards generally look like an inverted snowboard. Instead of the board having a convex shape to it like a snowboard, it has a concave shape to it and instead of being shaped in a bridge like curve, a wakeboard is curved upwards like a rocking horse. Wakeboarding is a lot of fun, and you can never stop learning. Once you have mastered getting up and riding around, then comes the real fun!

White Water Kayaking

At last, something great to do with all that rain! One group of sports enthusiasts positively revel in the wet stuff and can't wait for the heavens to open. When the rains come and the rivers come to life it's the kayakers who come out to play! These days a kayaker tackles the rapids in a one man kayak probably a little over 2 metres long. Made of tough plastic these boats are almost indestructible and they allow the paddler protected by helmet, body armour and buoyancy aid and wielding a fibreglass paddle to tackle steep and rocky rivers.

White Water Rafting

Whitewater rafting takes the form of a large inflatable craft specially constructed to carry up to 8 adrenalin-seeking participants, down rivers of varying difficulty - from the tame to the extreme white water. A river guide who is familiar with the river expertly guides each boat around and through its obstacles. On your journey you will be encouraged to work together as a team to bump and glide your way along the rivers natural course, whilst enjoying all the wild and wacky rapids for which the Scottish rivers are famous.

It will also give you a chance to see some stunning Scottish scenery.

Windsurfing

Embraced as the 80's yuppie lifestyle hobby, windsurfing has never looked back. Sophisticated equipment means top "sailors" can now achieve spectacular jumps and speeds of over 45 knots. This is where Scotland's weather comes into play - high average wind speed statistics, which bar the cold during the winter months makes it ideal for windsurfing.

This combined with long sweeping sandy beaches, relatively clean water around much of the coast and its exposure to the North Sea and the Atlantic make it an adventure playground for would be watermen.

Information on this page has been supplied by:

Visit Scotland