Pinkston Watersports – a Paddleboard Taster and Lunch
A few hours, from Buchanan Street Subway and back.
The route
Pinkston Watersports is a charity with its own clean-water basin on the Forth and Clyde Canal, just north of the city centre, and its paddleboard tasters are a brilliant first go for beginners.
Everything is provided and nobody needs to swim. Afterwards, Ocho serves brunch and lunch in an old canal warehouse on Speirs Wharf, a short walk along the canal.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Moment Blythswood Street. Sleeps 2.
Book a paddleboarding taster at Pinkston Watersports
Book a paddleboarding taster on Pinkston's own website before you go: an hour and a half on the water, from £29.44 a head at the time of writing, over-16s on adult sessions and children from 7 on family ones.
Book a table for lunch at Ocho on Speirs Wharf, open 9am to 4pm every day except Tuesday.
The day
Glasgow
A morning on the water without leaving the city: an hour and a half learning to stand and paddle on a sheltered canal basin, a shower, then a long, hungry lunch by the canal.
About four hours
Pinkston Watersports
Book a paddleboarding taster on Pinkston's website before you go: it lasts an hour and a half and costs from £29.44 a head at the time of writing, for over-16s, with family tasters for children from 7. Take the Subway one stop from Buchanan Street to Cowcaddens (check the times), then it's about 15 minutes' walk, uphill, to Pinkston on North Canal Bank Street. Pinkston's basin is sealed off from the canal, and its water is filtered and tested. Wetsuits, buoyancy aids and boards are all provided, so bring a swimsuit to wear underneath, old shoes that cover your toes, a towel and warm layers for after. You'll probably get wet, but you don't need to be able to swim, and sessions go ahead in the rain. The changing rooms have showers, and an accessible pontoon gets you onto the water. There's no café at Pinkston.
7 min on foot
Ocho
Lunch
Walk 11 minutes west from Pinkston to Ocho at 8 Speirs Wharf, in a building of 1851 above the canal, for brunch or lunch until 4pm, every day except Tuesday. Book a table, press 8 on the intercom at the door, and if it's dry, sit outside on the cobbles overlooking the water. Dogs are welcome, with a doggie menu, and it's step-free. Cowcaddens Subway is 7 minutes' walk back down the hill.
If it rains
Sessions go ahead in the rain, and you'll be wet anyway; have lunch indoors at Ocho rather than on the cobbles.
Photograph by Sebastian Wilson via Google