The Caledonian Canal
Designed by Thomas Telford - Follows the line of the Great Glen
The Caledonian Canal follows the line of the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness connects Loch Linnhe, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness.
In the early part of the 17th century Coinneach Odhar the Brahan Seer told us, “Strange as it may seem to you, time will come when full rigged ships will be seen sailing eastwards and westwards by the back of Tomnahurich” (near Inverness).
Thomas Telford
It was a prophecy fulfilled over a century later when the government driven by the need to improve conditions in the Scottish Highlands commissioned Thomas Telford to construct a canal that would connect the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
After a survey in 1802 work started the following year, it was expected to take around seven years to complete but it was 1822 before it opened for navigation.
Caledonian Canal
Telford’s remarkable feat of engineering joins Loch Linnie a sea loch at the southern end to Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness. It stretches 60 miles from Fort William to Inverness where it empties into the Moray Firth.
Today small passenger cruisers,particularly on Loch Ness are a common sight and they will take you gently through an area of stunning natural beauty.
If you are driving on the A82 road that runs alongside the canal be sure to take a guidebook, it’s too easy to miss the most interesting parts.
Great Glen Way
For those with plenty of energy and starting at Corpach near Fort William (heading north) you can pull on your boots and follow the towpath or take the Great Glen Way, a long distance footpath that follows part of the canal route.
For the less experienced it is an ideal introduction to long distance walking. Much of the route is low level and follows woodland trails and towpaths. There is also ample opportunity to deviate from the route and tackle some of the more difficult walks and climbs.
Be prepared to be lured away from your planned route. Take time to see the hidden gems that are off the beaten track, the orchids at Ach an Todhair, the speckled wood butterflies in the north east of the glen and the rock plants that flourish in the deep gorge at the Falls of Foyers.
If you keep your eyes peeled, you might see: wild cats, pine martins, buzzards and the magnificent golden eagle.
Back on the towpath and only a mile from your starting point you reach Banavie and the most spectacular man made feature of the canal — Neptunes Staircase, a series of interconnected locks that raises the water level by 60 feet within only 500 yards.
Ben Nevis
The tree-lined path continues and the Clunes and South Laggan forests close in and the hills rise steeply in the background. The scenery is stunning with Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor clearly visible.
For a bird’s eye view of the canal there is an alternative high-level route that takes you to beautiful Loch Arkaig before rejoining the main path.
Loch Ness
The canal continues north past the ruins of Invergarry Castle and on to Fort Augustus and Loch Ness, which draws water from nearly 700 square miles and holds more than all the lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales together.
Despite its impressive statistics, it is still best known for the Loch Ness monster and much of the area’s tourist industry relies on the elusive Nessie.
In the last stretch from Drumnadrochit to Inverness, the hills draw back and the forests give way to farming country and the clutter of city life. The final sea lock at Clachnaharry marks the end of a journey from coast to coast.
