All the information on this page can be downloaded here as a word document.

We are excited about our upcoming symposium and are looking forward to seeing you all and enjoying some awesome paddling with you. We have booked twelve top coaches for the weekend and some amazing people to assist them, so we are anticipating having a fantastic time at the 2026 Shetland symposium. The information below is to provide you with some helpful information and to cover some of the practical aspects of the weekend.

All the information on this page can be downloaded here as a Word document.

Key contacts:

The symposium has been organised by committee members Frank Roberts, Hamish Leslie, Iain MacBride, Pamela Tuberville and Rachel Shucksmith. The event will be supported by a number of club volunteers over the weekend.

If you have any issues, please do get in touch with us via our Facebook page or email at shetlandsks@gmail,.com

Traveling to Shetland

Our main advice regards travel is to book well in advance as the ferry now books quickly, with booking now open for July 2026. Northlink ferries do offer full refund up to the day of travel which helps if cancellations are required for any reason (although they are currently reviewing this policy). Links to their websites are at the bottom of this document.

Brae Hall

The symposium will be based at Brae Hall from Friday morning through to Sunday night. Brae hall is located in middle of the village of Brae, and is where we will meet for registration, dinner and each day at 8.30am to leave for trips. Hot drinks and home-bakes will be available at the hall throughout the day. Feel free to come to the hall directly from the ferry.

Directions: When you enter Brae, approximately 500m into the village the hall is located on left hand side, and is slightly set back from the road.  The hall has toilet facilities but no showers (nearest showers are at Delting boating club and at the North mainland leisure centre). There will be kayaks and trailers parked outside, as well as a sign. The google map location is:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CcbdkzZ8wSd89Hom9

What3words: https://w3w.co/published.these.prevents

Shetland Seakayak Symposium Draft Programme

Friday 24th July

  • 0800 – 0930 Registration
  • 0800 Tea & cake available at Brae Hall
  • 0800 -0930 collection of pre-booked equipment
  • 0800 Short coaches and assistants meeting for Friday trips (Brae hall- club room)
  • 0900 Official welcome to participants and session sign up
  • 0930-1000 All activities start (meeting points advised at registration)
  • 1730 – 1800 Approx. time back at Brae hall
  • 1700 onwards Tea & cake available at Brae hall
  • 1700 Registration
  • 1830 Coaches meeting (all coaches and assistant required)
  • 1900 Announcements and session sign up for participants
  • 1915 Evening meal at Brae Hall (pre-booked only)

Saturday 25th July

  • 0800 Stores open for remaining people to borrow kit
  • 0830 All activities start (meeting points advised at registration)
  • 1700 – 1800 Approx. time back at Brae hall
  • 1700 onwards Tea & cake available at Brae hall
  • 1830 Coaches meeting (all coaches and assistants required)
  • 1900 Announcements and session sign up for participants
  • 1915 Evening meal at Brae Hall (pre-booked only)
  • 2030 Evening talk

Sunday 26th July

  • 0800 Stores open for remaining people to borrow kit
  • 0830 All activities start
  • 1700 – 1800 Approx. time back at Brae hall
  • 1700 onwards Tea & cake available at Brae hall (for everyone)
  • 1845 Evening meal at Brae Hall (pre-booked only)
  • 2030-2230 Ceilidh


Symposium registration at Brae Hall

There will be registration at Brae Hall on Friday morning. You must register before joining the sessions.

Equipment

Please bring your own equipment if possible.  If you require equipment, it can be borrowed from Shetland Canoe club, but you will need to pre-book (and pay a fee). Kit will be on a first-requested, first served basis and must be booked in advance. Club equipment can only be used during the symposium, and would not be available for use after the symposium, unless used in compliance with club rules (e.g. trips led by a qualified leader) and any damage must be reported and paid for.

Please ensure as a minimum we would expect participants to carry a dry bag of spare clothes, lunch, a hot drink and helmet for all advanced water sessions and rock hopping sessions.

Official Welcome

Participants will meet in Brae Hall at 0830 hrs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning for a welcome brief. After which we will introduce coaches and you are then free to go your own way, sort out any necessary equipment and have a fun day on the water.

Friday paddling

Friday is an official symposium day (you must be booked to attend) and will be trips (not coaching sessions), allowing everybody to explore Shetland’s amazing coast. On Friday after registration, we will have an official welcome, then session sign up, with trips leaving from the hall at by 10.00 am. Trips will be at different locations around Shetland and will suit different abilities.

Saturday and Sunday Trip and coaching session sign up

Sign up to Saturday and Sunday sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday evening respectively, once the coaches have returned from trips. Sessions will be divided by type (for instance rock hopping, rough water handling) and prior experience. Definitions of experience will be clearly displayed with equivalent Paddle Scotland level given as a guide, please ensure you sign up to a session offered at a level suitable for your experience. We will meet at 8.30am for the trips on each morning at the Brae Hall, unless otherwise advised by your coach.

Coaching Timings

Groups will meet each day after the morning welcome, with anticipated return at 1700-1800.

Breakfast and pack lunch

You will need to provide your own breakfast and pack lunch. There are shops in Brae and facilities at the hall to prepare sandwiches etc for your day on the water. Please note all trips and coaching sessions are all day and we will not be returning to shore for lunch nor will there be shops near to where you are paddling.

Evening meals and dance

Pre-booked evening meals will be in the Brae Hall at 7.00pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After the meal on Saturday, we anticipate a short kayak themed talk, and on Sunday there will be a dance. The dance is included within the symposium fee. People not booked to attend the symposium may also join the meals (at cost) or the dance (at a small fee). Please let us know if you require extra meal or dance tickets.

Accommodation

About Voxter Outdoor Centre

Voxter Outdoor Centre is located about 20 miles to the North of Lerwick. The What3Words location is https://w3w.co/live.nozzle.refrained Google maps https://maps.app.goo.gl/81H3X5oYQPmNn4sU6

We have the Voxter outdoor centre from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning, and booking into the centre was an option at registration at an additional fee.  Please note the Voxter Outdoor centre (including camping ground) will be closed at 09:00 on Monday 27th July 2026. There are beds in the centre and camping facilities in the grounds. If you are camping you will be able to use all the facilities in the centre which has a well-equipped kitchen as well as showers, toilets, common room, washing machines and a drying area. Mobile phone signal is patchy in Shetland, however there is a payphone at Voxter.

Please note that campervans cannot be booked into Voxter.

In addition, there will be no access to the centre after our booking period has ended, and any campers must have packed up by this time. Any equipment, items or food left within the facilities after this time will be disposed of. The event is run by volunteers therefor any clean-up will be within volunteers time. Unnecessary or excessive mess or damage will result in the refusal of applications for any further events.

Please note those booked in a dorm at Voxter you must bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.

Directions

If you are coming to Shetland by ferry, turn right from the terminal onto the main North Road (A970). Follow this road north following signs for Hillswick and Brae. Once in Brae turn right at the bend in the road just before the Brae Co-Op. Follow this road for about 3/4 of a mile till you see Voxter Outdoor Centre on the left with a short track road to the centre over a small burn.

Camper vans

The Brae hall committee have said we can park camper vans in the car park over night and there are toilets available during the night. However, there are no showers or waste disposal facilities. We will be charging a £5 fee to campers staying at the hall. Other recommendations for participants with camper vans are: arrange to camp at the Delting boating club (approximately 1 mile north of the Brae Hall), Nesting Hall (approximately 15  miles south of Brae), or at Briewick café and campsite (15 miles north of Brae).  Please see links below.

Showers

If you’re not staying at Voxter and need to grab a shower, there are showers at Northmainland leisure centre and at Brae Boating club. Please note the opening times of the leisure centre is now limited and won’t be open much over the weekend.

Food

There is a small Co-Op in Brae (around 1.5 miles away), as well as petrol station which sells food. Tesco and Co-op both have stores in Lerwick which are open from early morning to late at night.  Evening meals are available at Brae Hall but MUST be booked in advance.

Weather

As with all outdoor activities, the weather will influence the range of activities on offer! Please be aware that activities may change due to weather conditions and as a matter of safety we reserve the right to change activities, locations and times at any point during the event.

Insurance Liability

Members of the Shetland Canoe Club and full members of Paddle Scotland are automatically covered by third party liability while involved in this event. Non-members must register with Paddle Scotland.

Please note, behaviour that may put anyone at risk or misconduct may result in being removed from the event without a refund and / or refusal to attend any future events.

Data Protection

Information supplied on the booking form in connection with the Shetland Sea Kayak Symposium may be held on computer.  It will not be made available to any other organisation.

Safeguarding

There will be no under 18s within the coached sessions. However there may be young people or children booked into the symposium for evening meals with family members. Iain MacBride is the club Safeguarding officer. If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact Iain directly or on safeguardingshetlandcc@gmail.com .

Please see our safeguarding policy here https://shetlandcanoeclub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Safeguarding_Policy.pdf

Incident reporting

In the first instance, please contact ESO/ ESL with any incident that happens when you have responsibility for your group. This can be done on the phone 07776188952/ 07818655007 or in person.

Photographs

We’d love you to help us gather photos from the event and share on your own social media and our own. Please let your coach know if you do not wish to be photographed or for any photo of them to be used to inform us at registration and let their coach/group know.

Please where possible hash tag the symposium on social media posts. #Shetland Kayak Symposium 2026

After the Symposium

There may be opportunities for arranging your own paddle trips following the symposium. The club will take no responsibility for any activities arranged without their involvement.

Any Other Queries

If you have any other queries, please email shetlandsks@gmail.com or message us via the Shetland Sea Kayak Symposium Facebook page.

Useful website Links:

Northlink Ferrieshttps://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/

Voxter Outdoor Centre https://www.voxteroutdoorcentre.co.uk/

Northmainland (Brae) Pool https://www.srt.org.uk/centres/north-mainland

Delting Boatiing club (Brae) https://www.deltingboatingclub.co.uk/

Briewick campsite https://www.visitscotland.com/info/accommodation/braewick-cafe-campsite-p508041

South Nesting hall http://www.southnestinghall.co.uk/

Bolts car hire https://www.boltscarhire.co.uk/

Star rent a car https://www.starrentacar.co.uk/