Gladhouse Reservoir

Trip Overview

Having only been paddleboarding for about a week, Gladhouse Reservoir in the Lothians was a great place to spend time on the water. Easy to find not far south of Edinburgh it is a fairly large body of water with couple of islands on it.

Although there is no car park, parking was next to the metal fence that runs along the side of the lake, and as long as you parked sensibly they're was plenty of room for other cars to get by. The fence also has designated places to cross to make it easier, and there are paths that allow you to walk around the edge of the Reservoir in either direction.

It is very simple to get your gear over the fence onto a grass area that is ideal for setting up your board and getting changed into your wetsuit. With this being right next to the road it is perfect for leaving large items in the car when you are out on the water.

Access to the water is very easy with a number of suitable launch sites to choose from. I choose to enter right where I had parked the car which was perfect as it was calm but deep enough to ensure no damage to the fins.

The Reservoir is fairly sheltered with hills and trees and was fairly calm for the most part. If you choose to venture out past the islands the wind can pick up a bit more and be more of a challenge paddling back. I chose to lie back on the board and allow the wind to drift me out to the far side of the reserevoir then paddle back, doing this a number of times. Managed to see a decent amount of wildlife and spent almost 3 hours on the board.

There wee other paddleboarders, kayaks and wild swimmers around but more than enough room for everyone.

Would highly recommend and will definitely be back with the famil.