I was lucky enough to complete my Gold DofE expedition canoeing in Scotland on Loch Shiel, which is where they filmed Hogwarts lake for Harry Potter. There were 6 of us in total in 3 canoes and we had completed a year and a half of training for the expedition. It was just as magical an experience as Hogwarts itself, with breath-taking scenery for all 4 days of the trip. On the first day we set out with high ambitions for the trip before hitting some tough rain and wind. We battle paddled for the first day before arriving at a place we could have some dinner. And then the most glorious weather change occurred, the clouds rolled back, and the wind died, and the sun began to shine. We were then able to complete our paddle for the day, after some dinner, to our desired site for wild camping. The following 3 days were as spectacular, with every length of the loch bringing more astonishing natural sites. One of the nights we camped on an island, where in the middle of the night, we were treated to the most amazing display of lightening. In the morning we rose early to paddle on the high tide which meant we were able to capture the sunrise perfectly on the still water.
5 years later the trip still lives on in my memory, and I am still, along with all the training, extremely proud of the accomplishment. I would recommend DofE to everyone as I have gained so many skills, memories and friends from my experience as a whole.