Walk, cycle or sail the Caledonian Canal
Cutting clean through Scotland’s Great Glen and connecting Inverness to Fort William, the Caledonian Canal is one of the great waterways of the world. The Caledonian Canal offers visitors spectacular scenery. With many exciting opportunities to experience this unique waterway on foot, by bike or by boat. People return each year to enjoy Scottish holidays on this dramatic canal. Boating holidays here are particularly popular on the Caledonian Canal. As the canal opens up into Loch Ness, where boaters can sail the waters of this vast Scottish loch. Who knows, whilst sailing Loch Ness you might even find the Loch Ness Monster!
Caledonian Canal History
Stretching from Fort William to Inverness, the Caledonian Canal is 60 miles long. 22 miles of which are man-made. Connecting the natural lochs of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, the famous Loch Ness and Loch Dochfour. The canal is, even by today’s standards an amazing feat of engineering. First opened in 1822, it was constructed to help commercial shipping avoid the treacherous journey around the west coast. Unfortunately, by the time the canal was completed, many boats under sail had been replaced by steamships. Which were much better able to negotiate the west coast waters than their predecessors. So traffic through the canal never really paid for itself. Today, however, the canal is full of life with walkers, cyclists, leisure boaters and holidaymakers.
