Scottish Women's Paddle Symposium 17-19 May 2024
SWPS: 17 - 19 May 2024 at Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore
Tickets on sale now
The Scottish Women's Paddle Symposium is a weekend designed for women paddlers to get together, improve their skills and have fun!
The main aim of the weekend is to provide development opportunities, mentoring and inspiration to women who want to progress their skills.
The first SWPS event ran in 2009, run by a passionate group of volunteers. An event run BY women, FOR women. Roll the clock forwards to 2024 and this mission and purpose remain the same. This is an event where you can put your own development first, try new things, paddle and socialise with other inspiring female paddlers, all in a supportive friendly environment. Whether you want to try a new discipline, increase your confidence in a specific area, or improve on a specific skill or technique, there is a workshop for you.
SWPS is an inclusive event open to everyone who identifies as a woman. Our equality and inclusion lead is lara.cooper@canoescotland.org, please get in touch if you have any questions. Check out the 2-day workshop ‘All Ability Session’ if you’d like something specifically tailored to your individual needs. Please see our Inclusion Statement here.
Keep in touch
Follow the SWPS Facebook Page
Follow SWPS on Instagram
Please contact us if you would like to chat anything through by emailing hello@canoescotland.org.
Our equality and inclusion lead is Lara - lara.cooper@canoescotland.org.

Booking
Tickets went on sale on 21st November at 1800.
To book, log in to JustGo and check out our Events & Courses.
Package | SCA Member* | Non-SCA Member** | Concession *** |
---|---|---|---|
Package 1 Weekend including B&B and full board (see note 1 and 2) | £300 | £320 | £85 discount applied |
Package 2 Weekend including camp/van pitch and full board (see note 1 and 2) | £220 | £240 | £85 discount applied |
Package 3 Weekend including camp/van pitch (See note 1 and 3) | £170 | £190 | £85 discount applied |
Package 4 Weekend non-residential (See note 4) | £170 | £190 | £85 discount applied |
*SCA Full, Junior or Recreational Members are eligible for the member rate. Membership is required at the time of booking and must still be in place on the event weekend.
**One year's SCA Recreational Membership is included in the non-member rate for anyone who lives in Scotland AND has not been an SCA member during the last 3 years or more.
***The Concession rate is available for SCA members (Full, Recreational, Junior) and SCA Club Associates who are aged 16-25 or have a valid Student Card. Please email hello@canoescotland.org with a copy of your Student Card and we’ll send you a discount code.
All tickets include:
- Friday evening workshops (1930 - 2100);
- Saturday and Sunday full day workshops
Note 1: This residential option includes two nights (Friday and Saturday) accommodation (either camp/van pitch, or B&B depending on the ticket chosen).
Note 2: This full board option includes breakfast, packed lunch and dinner on Saturday; breakfast and packed lunch on Sunday.
Note 3: These tickets don’t include any food. You can buy packed lunch and evening meals as extras on sale nearer the event date depending on availability.
Note 4: This is a non-residential ticket so you'll need to arrange your own accommodation. The village of Glenmore has accommodation options (e.g. Campsite and Youth Hostel), and Aviemore is 7-miles down the road from Glenmore Lodge with plenty of accommodation options available.
Apply for a Subsidised Place
An £85 discount is potentially available for those on low incomes and/or from under-represented groups. Find out more / apply now.
Pay in Instalments
If you book before 31st January 2024 you have the option of paying in up to three monthly instalments to spread the costs of the main package tickets.
What's Included
Ticket | Friday Evening Workshops | Sat & Sun Workshops | Accom. | Sat/Sun Breakfast & Lunch | Sat/Sun Tea/Coffee & Cake | Sat Evening Meal | Boat/Board Hire* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Package 1 B&B and full board | ✓ | ✓ | B&B | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Package 2 camp/van pitch and full board | ✓ | ✓ | Van/Tent Pitch | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Package 3 camp/van pitch | ✓ | ✓ | Van/Tent Pitch | 乂 | ✓ | 乂 | ✓ |
Package 4 Non-residential | ✓ | ✓ | None | 乂 | ✓ | 乂 | ✓ |
*Boat/Board Hire
Some boats/boards (and equipment) are available for borrow during the event; these must be reserved prior to the event. These are available as an add-ons when you book the following workshops:
- An Introduction to Sea Kayaking
- An Introduction to White Water Kayaking
- Canoe - OC1, Open Water & White Water
- Rafting
- Any of the SUP sessions
Others may be available to book nearer the time if numbers permit, but we recommend that you try and source your own boat/board independently.
Equipment
Please note that participants should bring all personal equipment. Please find details of Kit for SWPS in this document. Cags, buoyancy aids, helmets, dry suits etc are not available to hire. See workshop descriptions for specific additional information.
Transport
All sessions will start and finish at Glenmore Lodge. Some groups will be able to use mini-bus transport, whilst others will need to provide their own transport. Some sessions will be local e.g. within 15-min drive, whilst others may need to travel further afield (e.g. to rivers or coastal areas, approx. 60-90 min away). Car sharing is encouraged.
Arrival Registration
At the start of the event head to Glenmore Lodge reception to register. This will give you an opportunity to ask any questions, get your goody bag, find out all the information you’ll need and sort out any problems etc. Registration is open:
- Friday 17th May 1600 to 2200
- Saturday 19th May 0730 to 0845
We will share the group lists with the coaches prior to the event. They may get in touch to make specific arrangements for meeting with you. Otherwise all groups will meet at Glenmore Lodge at 0900 for Saturday and Sunday workshops. Workshops will end 1630 - 1800 each day depending on the location.
Please contact us if you would like to chat anything through - email hello@canoescotland.org.
Workshops
Check out the different workshops and descriptions on offer below. We advise that participants are likely to get the most out of the weekend by picking workshops most suited to their skill level, so if you are unsure where you'd fit best, or you’d like to change, please get in touch.
All workshops are full day sessions, with some 2-day options.
You can book two days of the same workshop (if it is running on both days). Our experienced coaches tailor sessions to meet the needs/aspirations of the participants, so day 2 is likely to look and feel progressive.
All sessions are low ratio to give you high quality time with one of our specialist (women) coaches and to maximise your learning opportunity. Maximum group sizes are 4-6 people, depending on the nature of the activity.
NEW FOR 2024 - 2-day workshops to enable more development time and more time on the water.
Friday Evening Workshops
A range of workshops will be running 1930 - 2100 on Friday evening at Glenmore Lodge. These will be open for booking nearer the time. These sessions are included in your ticket price, with no extra charge.
Weekend Workshops