Make the most of a key part of heritage
Sail down iconic RiverTay and see the sights
Passengers board the Badger at the Fergusson pontoon. Main picture, the iconic stretch with passengers making the most of the River Tay‘s beautiful scenery We set off at 4.15pm from the Fergusson Pontoon, getting aboard the jaunty little motor boat ‘Badger’, sitting outside on cushioned benches with the option of sitting inside if the weather turned wet.
It was important that the passengers embarked on time, as the river is influenced by the tide and without the right advance of water, parts of the Tay can become impassable for river traffic.
Taymara skipper Norman Charmers explained about our boat and the others owned by Taymara visitors might come across: “At 450 horsepower, Badger is quite a powerful vessel to have on the Tay.
“She was a Customs interceptor in a previous life, and is capable of doing 24 knots although she only does eight knots along the Tay waterway.
“We also operate a RIB [rigid inflatable boat], which can carry four passengers and two crew, going along at 33 knots which is quite an exhilarating ride.
“A third vessel, ‘Mistlethrush’ takes 12 passengers and three crew members and is around 3-4 tonnes.
We bought that boat for £1, the deal being we went to collect it from a port in France and made the journey by sea all the way to Perth.”
Chugging off on the Badger felt like something out of the new movie ‘Dunkirk’ as we sped past the harbour and the offices overlooking the business park, allotments and King James VI Golf Club on Moncreiffe Island.
In under 20 minutes we arrived at Willowgate and it was great to warm up in the wood-lined cafe.
Managed by Rhona Middleton, it opened on September 1 and was the perfect place to look out on the river while cradling a hot drink.
Not far away, the Willowgate Activity Centre has a trout fishery and offers activities include canoeing, ‘Zorbing’ – otherwise known as zip-up inflatable balls used on the water – field archery, bushcraft school sports, a day’s hen and stag activities, corporate away days and more.
Adam Burns from the Tay and Earn Trust, which runs Willowgate Activity Centre, explained that word was spreading and on a taster day this summer 1300 people turned up to give the activities a try.
“With canoe hire on offer and a safe training loch, many were keen to brush up on their proficiency skills. It was really encouraging.”
Adam has developed links with local clubs and a big Facebook following for the centre, adding: “We’re experiencing a lot of enquiries already for our Easter activity programme.
“We see enormous potential if the boat trips are developed to bring more people to us direct from Perth to supplement those that come by car.
“There has been a lot of positive feedback from people who have used the boat service this year and everybody here wants to build on that joined up approach.”
See www.perthcity.co.uk for up to date information.