Grand Tours of Scotland's Rivers

Ups and Downs

On this Grand Tour, Paul explores the lower reaches of Royal Deeside. Heading downstream, he runs aground in a canoe and then gets stuck trying to thread his body through an ancient fertility stone. In the village of Banchory, he breathes in the scent of lavender, and then takes a train along the Royal Deeside Line before heading into Aberdeen where he learns a secret recipe for the city's famous rowie - a Caledonian version of the croissant. Journey's end is on the city's famous golden sands.

Paul explores the River Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, following it from where it rises above the Devil’s Beef Tub all the way to the Solway Firth.

The River North Esk south of Edinburgh is a hidden gem. Paul follows it from the Pentlands through a landscape steeped in myth and legend - including the mysterious Rosslyn Chapel.

Along the River Teviot, Paul discovers bloody reiving history, joins the Hawick Common Riding, visits a haunted jail, then reaches the Tweed where a king went off with a bang.

This surprising grand tour follows the River Ythan in rural Aberdeenshire, flowing through a landscape of fields and haunted castles to a coast rich in wildlife.