Interestingly, the staff at the centre we were staying at in the lake district have decided to stop paddling the Eden because of the length of the getout walk, especially when carrying open boats (and no issue with River access in Scotland; no need to book; etc).
In contrast, even though Langholm is an extra half hours drive, the get in is direct from the (free) public car park (with toilets) (see picture).
The getout is a simple 50 yard carry from the river up to the road - with teashop directly opposite! [We actually managed to drive the centre's Landrover right down to the river.]
