Recreational gold panning is the outdoor leisure activity of panning gold from gold bearing streams and burns. Minimal equipment is required and it is a skill anyone can learn. Indeed, it has even been known for wheelchair users to pan for gold.

Recreational gold panning is an outdoor pursuit which promotes fitness, health and friendship and brings you into some of the most beautiful parts of the countryside. Leisure gold panners come from all walks of life from professional men and women to business owners to tradesmen and students.

Whether you pan for just a few days every year during your summer holidays or pan every weekend all year round, gold panning can be extremely rewarding in terms of forging new friendships and enjoying the countryside.

 Kildonan gold - image 1050

Kildonan

Site of a famous gold rush in 1869, the Kildonan burn became home to as many as 600 gold prospectors at one time during the rush. The prospectors' huts formed a shanty town that became known as Baile an Or – village of the gold - which even grew to include a saloon that provided hot food and accomodation!

The gold rush was short lived however and by the winter of 1869, owing to the damage to the environment and the small amounts of gold being recovered, the Duke of Sutherland closed the river, the prospectors moved on and Baile an Or was dismantled.

Today the legend lives on and because the landowners graciously permit it, you can camp at Baile an Or, site of the 1869 gold rush, and pan for gold in the burn.

Baile an Or campsite - image 1046

Baile an Or campsite in winter - image 1039

How to Get There

From Brora, take the A9 north to Helmsdale and then take the A897 to Baile an Or, which is just over 8 miles inland from Helmsdale.

Alternatively, if you have a good vehicle like a 4x4, you can drive through Glen Loth to Kildonan Station, a picturesque route through a Highland glen offering stunning views over the county of Sutherland from its highest point where it passes through the hills. However be warned, this is a single track road with very few passing places which is not snow cleared during the winter months and which is often in need of maintenance.

Caution is needed when driving between Helmsdale and Baile an Or as it is frequented by sheep. Extreme care should be exercised during lambing.

The gorge in summer - image 1042

The gorge in winter - image 1043

Equipment used in Gold Panning

The most basic equipment used in gold panning would be a shovel, garden riddle and gold pan, as well as suitable clothing for working in rivers, such as chest waders. Other equipment could include a bucket, gravel pump, underwater viewer, snuffer bottle and patio weeder for scraping out cracks in the bedrock.

When gold panning in early spring or late autumn, wetsuit jackets and neoprene gloves for working in the colder water may be necessary. During winter, drysuits with thermal body warmers are crucial to withstand the cold and protect you if you fall into the freezing waters. Dry suits, however, are expensive and require constant maintenance, so for this reason gold panning remains very much a summer hobby for most.

Equipment used in gold panning - image 1047

Gold panning at Kildonan - image 1045

Not a Road to Quick Riches

Despite what television and newspapers may tell you, gold panning in the UK is not a road to quick riches to beat the credit crunch. Gold panning in the UK is a hobby and it will cost you money not make you money.

Returns from leisure gold panning are meagre to say the least. Typical returns for a full day's outing for an experienced panner probably averages around quarter to half a gram. Of course, there is always the allure of that elusive nugget which may be lurking under the next rock!

Most days you will be doing nothing more exciting than moving large stones and rocks in freezing rivers. To be successful you will have to be prepared to get fit and become acclimatised to often harsh weather conditions. It's all worth it though when you find colour in your pan!

Working in the gorge - image 1048

Obtaining Permissions to pan for Gold

There are other gold bearing rivers in Sutherland besides the Kildonan burn, however you must obtain permissions from land owners and those who have rights to the gold before panning is undertaken. Farmers, for example, understandably may not want anyone on their land during lambing. There may also be SSSI restrictions in place which would render gold panning a criminal offence so permissions must be obtained before entering private property to pan for gold. Always remember that gold panning is a privilege not a right.

Responsible gold panning means obtaining permissions, parking and camping where authorised, not using illegal equipment, observing seasonal restrictions, not lighting open fires, taking your litter home, closing gates after you and generally observing the Country Code.

For more information, please visit the The Gold Club website - www.thegoldclub.biz

Using a home made hand-operated Henderson gravel pump - image 1049

Regulations for Panning at Kildonan

Restrictions are placed on all motorised equipment, sluices, dredges and highbankers, and they must not be used. No digging or undercutting of the banks is permitted and all gold panning must be confined to the river gravels.

Camping is permitted in the camping area adjacent to the wooden shelter. No open campfires are permitted though barbeques are welcome. The maximum time allowed per year is 2 weeks which may be taken in not more than two periods. Competitive or commercial panning is forbidden. Panning may only take place between 8 am and 10 pm, or dusk, if earlier.

Full details of all the regulations are prominently posted in the shelter at Baile an Or.

Kildonan Burn - image 1051

Kildonan Burn in winter - image 1044

Teaching primary school children to pan for gold at Kildonan - image 1041

A working hole - image 1040

Working in the gorge in winter - image 1052