Scotland has never been a place for softies - its challenging weather and dramatic scenery really give you a sense of being in the big outdoors. But though you might have been there for walking and kayaking, you may not know that its rivers, mountains and coast are fast making it a centre for extreme activities.
In recognition of this, VisitScotland will list all such activities on the website www.wannabethere.com from the end of May. 'If they invent something in California or New Zealand, we can do it here - the only difference is you probably get rained on more here,' said a tourist board spokesman.
So before you head off to the other side of the world for a spot of white-water rafting, hit the Highlands to see what's on offer.
You can do most of the activities listed below from Easter to October. Though operators may have their own insurance, it is worth getting your own personal cover.
Canyoning
Head downriver in a gorge, descending several hundred feet by swimming, jumping into plunge pools, liding down log flumes and abseiling. You'll need the helmets, pads and harnesses that are supplied along with wetsuits and buoyancy aids. In Perthshire you can also go cliff-jumping from heights of up to 60 feet into rock pools, combined with headfirst descents down a waterfall. And if that sounds too tame, try the Tyrolean Traverse, which involves crossing a gorge at a height of 300 feet, with the optional extra of plunging into the river below.
How: Nae Limits (0771 891 8275; www.naelimits.com) in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, has half a day canyoning for £35, cliff jumping for £25 and the Tyrolean Traverse for £25. Vertical Descents (01855 821593; www.activities-scotland.com) eight miles south of Fort William, has two hours' canyoning for £30. On-site accommodation in a hostel costs from £7.50 though chalets are also available.
Kitesurfing and kitebuggying
If you find windsurfing old hat, try whizzing over the sea with your surfboard attached to a giant kite. With kites up to 23.5 metres in size, experts can jump 45 feet in the air and 100 feet along. It's a good idea to start with some kitebuggying - kites attached to stainless steel carts on land. Top speeds of 50 mph can be reached, though the faint-hearted can brake by manoeuvring the kite; operators say that nine times out of 10 the buggy stays on the ground.
How: The Wind Wizard (0141 332 8407; www.windspells.com) runs courses 40 minutes from Glasgow for one day (£80), two days (£160) and three days (£185) excluding accommodation. Helmets and buoyancy aids are provided and some wetsuits are available. Ocean Watersports (01224 638588; www.oceanwatersports.co.uk) at Aberdeen has introductory kitebuggying at £10 for a half-hour, £45 a half-day and £75 a full day, and courses up to pilot's level. Kitesurfing costs £125 a day.
White-water rafting
You get a guaranteed white-knuckle ride near Fort William, where Monster Activities runs trips on a Highland river which is dam-released to ensure flows keep up even in the summer months. Rapids are ranked from grade one (flat) to grade six (stupidly scary). You get to go on grade three rapids here, which are serious but still safe enough to take nine-year-olds. The mile-long stretch has five rapids with encouraging names such as 'Double or Quits' and 'Pop until you Drop', but never fear - the inflatable raft has eight chambers so if one bursts, you can still keep going. If you find that boring, the company has a range of other activities, includ ing knife and tomahawk throwing. Scotland's other main white-water rafting centre is in Perthshire, where companies offer fun yakking, which is like white-water rafting but in boats for two people without a guide.
How: Monster Activities (01809 501340; www.monsteractivities.com) is 25 miles from Fort William. Rafting costs £35 for a half-day. On-site hostel or B&B accommodation can be arranged from £10-£70 a night.
Mountain biking and karting
You think mountain biking sounds tame? Not in the Highlands, on the bottom ski slopes of the Nevis mountain range and the course being used for this year's World Cup Downhill. Hook your bike on to the back of a gondola and climb up to 2,050 feet before beginning the 1.6-mile steep and rough course. The record is five and a half minutes but most people take twice that time. Expect to fall off at least once - you get a full-face helmet and 'armour' of knee and elbow guards plus gloves. A more gentle ride down ski slopes can be had in the Grampian mountains, where you can whiz downhill in a go-kart known as a deval kart, or try tubing, zipping down dry ski slopes in giant tubes.
How: Off Beat Bikes (01397 704008; www.offbeatbikes. co.uk) at Fort William hires out bikes at the ski-hire shop in the Nevis range. A single run costs from £25, going up to £100 for a full day on a top-quality bike. Deval karting (01975 651440; www.lecht. co.uk) costs £3 per trip and tubing costs £4 for half an hour.
Hydroboarding
Imagine sledging head-first down the rapids and you get the idea. Thankfully, the mini surfboard you lie on has handles for that white-knuckle grip. Expect to pick up a few bruises on the grade two to three rapids, though to minimise these you get a crash helmet and elbow and knee pads as well as a wetsuit and buoyancy aid. If you want something that will pump a little less adrenaline, try the white-water trips suitable for families with 'thrills and bumps without being stupid' as well as jetbiking, sailing and canoeing.
How: At Croft-na-Caber (01887 830 588), Kenmore, Perthshire, on the south-eastern corner of the River Tay. Most activities cost £20-30 per half-day. There is on-site accommodation in 17 one-bedroom and two-bedroom self-catering lodges, with a bar and restaurant on site. A lodge for four costs about £100 a night.
Diving
No, Scotland's not the Caribbean and with water temperatures off the island of Orkney ranging from 6 to 12 degrees Celsius, you may wonder what the attraction is. Delve into your history books and you'll find details of the German High Seas fleet which put into Scapa Flow during armistice talks at the end of the First World War. Fearing the fleet would be taken over, German officials called for the ships to be scuttled, leaving some interesting wrecks for divers. If you aren't qualified, you can do a trial dive in shallow waters to shipwrecks used to block the channels during WW I, or get your licence on a four-day open-water course. How: Scapa Scuba (01856 851218; www.scapascuba. co.uk) in Orkney has trial dives for £55, guided dives for £40 and a PADI diving course at £320 for four days. Accommodation can be arranged. Equipment and dry suits are provided.
Paragliding
Glide with a parachute over Scotland's hills and dales, learning how to catch thermals, turn and soar over ridges and land. The Isle of Arran offers some of the best sites in Britain for both beginners and experts - its sea breezes mean you are never more than a few minutes from a flying site, whatever the wind direction. Don't worry about landing in the water; until you learn to steer, all flying is done in an inland direction. Chief instructor Zabdi Keen at the Flying Fever school was a former Scotland female champion.
How: Flying Fever (01770 820292; www.flyingfever.net) has a tandem flight with a qualified instructor for £45. Stay longer and take the elementary pilot's course for four to five days, at £295. Bed and breakfast accommodation costs £20 a night.
