Founded in 2005, Aboyne Canoe Club is a family canoe club based on the River Dee thirty miles west of Aberdeen. The club was the inspiration of local coach and River Adviser Jonathan Kitching who felt that Aboyne had all the requirements for a successful canoe club: friendly community swimming pool, river pool in the village with flat and moving water for training, and of course the 80 varied miles of the River Dee’s whitewater paddling on its doorstep.



Fundraising to buy a large amount of equipment including paddles, buoyancy aids, safety equipment, kayaks and canoes took place from 2005 onwards.

ACC member and supporter Karen Laurenson of Gordon Lodge kindly leased her shed for a peppercorn rent and Aboyne Canoe Club found a home for the next 14 years. A wooden rack and hooks were installed to hang kit and store kayaks and canoes and a trailer stored within the garden grounds.

2012:

-Purchase of drysuits for the club.  We used these drysuits to run our own white water safety training.

-The club attended their first two Canoe Polo tournaments in Banff.

- River Bank litter pick

-Creation of the Aboyne Canoe Club website.

2013

-London 2012 gold medal olympist Tim Baillie (originally from Donside) visits Aboyne Canoe Club and paddles down the Dee with club members

2017:

-On the 19th April 2017 the club become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), with Scottish Charity number: SC047329. Check out our status via the OSCR website

2018:

-'Aboyne Deefenders' kayak polo team enter Scottish division 3 for the first time finishing the season in first place with only one loss.

-Aboyne take part in the Stirling University 'P in the Loch' kayak polo competition.

- A Loch Too Far intrepid ACC members kayak Lochnagar. Were we the first?

-Construction of the 'Canoe Cathedral' storage facility begins in July.

-ACC Gold Dofe Group complete their award in canoes

-ACC member Neil Gibson becomes Scotlands first Paddlesport Activity Assistant closely followed by Trevor and Jessica Cardy a few months later.

-Go Paddling August Challenge

-Two Aboyne teams compete in the Inverness 'Highand Quaich kayak olo tournament

-Six ACC members pass their 16 hour first aid course hosted by ACC's Jonny Turley

-Annual ACC Ceilidh at the Victory Hall

-Amelia Cardy, David Hutcheson and David Woods complete their Whitewater Leader Awards

-Internal racking for Canoe Cathedral installed by S Anderson Fabrication

-Jo Walters Trust provide £1500 towards new kit for junior paddlers

-Harry Burnett organises flatwater sessions at Knockburn Loch

-creation of a twitter account @AboyneCanoeClub

2019:

-completion of a permanent storage shed the 'Canoe Cathedral' officially opened on April 27th 2019

-Aboyne send a 'scratch team' to Dundee for a Division 3 friendly. January.

-Aboyne kayak polo teams compete at Banff with two teams

-first season the 'River Deevas' kayak polo team competed in Scottish division 2 finishing 10th place nationally.