PK Podcast 019: Post-Trip Post-Script With Kevin Callan, Justine Curgenven and Ray Goodwin
Sitting down around a table in a wooden chalet in Scotland, Kevin Callan, Ray Goodwin, Justine Curgenven and I talk about the canoe trip down the river Spey we’d just finished the very same day…
Kevin Callan, who was on episode three of The Paul Kirtley Podcast way back when, who many know as “The Happy Camper,” is the author of multiple guidebooks to paddling in Canada, particularly Ontario. He’s the author of 15 books, including camping and outdoor cookery books. He’s a regular on CBC Radio as well as Canadian television.
Kevin is also a familiar presenter at all of the large outdoor shows and canoe gatherings in Canada and many of them in the Northern United States as well. He’s a very well-known North American canoeing and outdoor figure. When he suggested he might like to come over to Scotland to do a trip, Ray Goodwin and I were excited to do this with him.
Kevin, Ray and I had been talking about doing a trip for at least three years. Kevin travelled to the UK for the Welsh Canoe Symposium three years ago. Kevin was invited to speak and present again at the 2016 symposium, held in late October. While he was over this side of the pond, we collectively decided it would be a great time for us to do the Scottish trip. The Spey was at the top of the list, for several reasons.
If you follow Kevin’s YouTube channel already, you’ll know he enjoys a wee dram of whisky, particularly when he does his “Whiskey Fireside Chats”. So paddling down the River Spey seemed like an absolutely natural choice: it’s a great River to paddle, it’s beautiful scenery, and it’s surrounded by distilleries, so we thought we would hatch a plan.
Justine Curgenven, who was on podcast episode 5 with me, talking about her trip paddling the Aleutian Islands with Sarah Outen, was also very keen to join us on the trip.
Kevin and Ray both featured in Justine’s “This is Canoeing” films. Ray and I have met Kevin while we were travelling in Canada. Kevin has been over to the UK for paddling symposia (which Ray organises) and Ray, Kevin and Justine had each been guests on my podcast. With all these multiple connections between us, it was high time we did a trip all together. So the four of us hatched a plan to paddle down the Spey. This is something Ray and I do several times a year but we wanted to make this trip a little different (not that it could be anything other than different with Kevin involved 🙂 )…
The conversation that follows is our postscript to the trip and forms Episode 19 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast…
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TRANSCRIPT
Click here to read or download the transcript of Episode 19 of The Paul Kirtley Podcast
Sneak Preview Of Spey Trip Video Footage
A strong headwind characterised our last day (5th November) on the Spey. Coming pretty much out of the north, we were most exposed to the wind in the section between Fochabers and Spey Bay, where it was a solid force 6, gusting force 7.
The video below will give you some sense of what it was like. Despite plenty of water and good flow, this section was slow going and we were all glad to hit the pebble beach in Spey Bay. Turn on sound for the wind noise (despite shielding by the GoPro housing!)…
Links Mentioned In This Podcast
River Spey Trips Via Frontier Bushcraft
Kevin’s YouTube Channel
http://www.cackletv.com/
raygoodwin.com
The Balvenie
Ballindalloch Distillery
Books & DVDs Produced by Kevin, Ray and Justine…
Thanks For Listening!
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And Finally…
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Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog
PK Podcast 002: Ray Goodwin On Wilderness Canoeing
PK Podcast 003: Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper
PK Podcast 005: Justine Curgenven And An Aleutian Adventure
PK Podcast 013: Ray Goodwin On Continually Evolving Adventures By Canoe
34 thoughts on “PK Podcast 019: Post-Trip Post-Script With Kevin Callan, Justine Curgenven and Ray Goodwin”
The whiskey was 44 years old
The whiskey was 43 years old
The oldest Whiskey you tasted on the trip was 44 years old
It was from 1970 so that makes it 46 now.
Correction…1964 so 52 years
The whisky was 44 yrs old.
Glenglassaugh 44 year old and a wee dram at that!
44 years
44 years old
The whisky was 44 years old
52 Years
44 year old whisky, sounds class. Thanks for all the fantastic content, keep up the great work.
A very enjoyable, fun and informative Podcast Paul, just as one might expect from such a team!
Fantastic to hear more about each of you and to hear about the journey itself on the wonderful River Spey, it was also an absolute pleasure to meet you all and play a very small part in the surprise elements of your trip..
Best wishes
Alan Linee
The whisky is 44 years old
1964- so depending which month, that’s about 52 years old.
… you enjoyed a 44 years old whisky at that time – pretty old stuff 😀
Thanks Paul for example very entertaining hour and a half, I will still be laughing tomorrow. What a week you must have had, canoeing, good company, good whiskey and corned beef hash, can’t beat it. Your whiskey was 44 years old.
ATVB Howard.
Hi Paul, the oldest whiskey was 44 years old 🙂
By my calculations the oldest is 52 years old. Put in the cask at some point in 1964, taken out in 2008!!
Obviously for a real fly on the wall experience, just add alcohol
Hi Paul,
must have been a ‘wet’ tour, nice.. Oldest whiskey was 44 years.
Thank you for putting so much good information out in so many ways! I really do appreciate it and I am impressed how you find the time. I have seen your videos on river spey and canada to and would love to start canoeing. Your courses on canoeing and decending the river Spey is defenitely on my wishlist (along with canada and sweden of course).
Best wishes, Johannes
Whiskey was laid in barrel 1964 and then bottled in 2008 making it 64 years in the barrel, with an additional 8 years in the bottle (I don’t know if you would add the bottle time as well, I think not!?)
So my answer is 64 years old.
The oldest Whiskey you tasted on the trip was 44 years old.
Nice! 44 years old is my answer.
Grtz. Alder
Great podcast Paul. Loved being able to relate to it. The oldest whisky was the Glenglassaugh at 44yrs old. All the best, Phil
A good listen, a great trip with great people.
Oldest whisky was casked in 1964, making it 52.
Whiskey was 44 year old. Really enjoyed this podcast, had a lot of smiles.
The oldest whisky was 44 years old: Glenglassaugh, put in the barrel in 1964 and it came out in 2008.
The oldest was 52 years old. It seems you had great times guys. Have a nice day, Attila
Glenglassaugh 44 years old
Sounds good!
Hi Paul,
A massive thanks, not just for this podcast but for all of them and your blogs too… I have just finished all of them and learnt a lot; looking forward to more. I especially enjoyed this podcast and Kevin’s hilarious videos brought it all to life. Fun was had by all that’s for sure!
Regards and best wishes.
Wayne
Glenglassaugh, 44 years.
Hope I’m in time!
Cheers
Thank you Paul, for very well done videos, I sent your videos also to my Grandaughter, she loves exploring and preparing to stay outdoors.
That looks like a smooth cheers after a hard days bush crash! Makes good company and a discussion
warm near a fireplace.
Kind Regards
Jim Pacific NW
Hi Paul
The River Spey looks like a wonderful place to navigate. Fishing must be great too! Ancient European Whiskey too! Your cinematography is to be respected, sir.
Kind regards
Jim
Pacific NW