Caledonian Canal

Last night was our final evening on the Caledonian Canal, having entered the canal at Inverness after a 72-nautical-mile passage from Wick. We were excited to start this leg of our adventure, as it follows logically after our transit last season of Sweden‘s Gota Canal, which is this canal’s official “twin.”

Immediately upon entry, we recognized how much of a twin it is. The canal seemed a “déjà vu all over again,” as the appearance and dimensions matched the Gota Canal exactly. Not surprising, as both canals were designed by the same engineer, Thomas Telford, who led their construction in the 19^th century. We raised our Gota Canal courtesy flag in salute.

From the Caledonian Canal program provided upon entry, we learned that “various engineers were involved in the building of the Caledonian Canal, but the names of William Jessop and Thomas Telford, who worked together until Jessop’s death in 1814, usually head the plaudits for this spectacular feat of engineering – a feat in which their artistic inclinations were permitted to run riot. Its locks, at more than 50 yards long, were huge by the standards of the time. Many of them are arranged in 'staircases,' interconnected locks in which the top gates of one lock are the bottom gates of the next.

“The canal’s original purpose was to enable naval and other sailing vessels to avoid the treacherous waters of Pentland Firth and Cape Wrath. Wildly overshooting Telford’s estimates for both time and finances, it was partly complete in 1822, some 19 years after works started. However a further 25 years were to pass before it was fully complete.

“By this time, the advent of bigger steamships had diminished the canal’s role. It survived, in part, due to its importance in the development of the Highland economy, fostering trade between East and West, as well as with Germany, Holland and the Scandinavian countries. It remains popular today with cruisers, yachts, fishing boats, and small naval vessels, using it as a shortcut between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

From the Skipper’s Guide, we learn canal facts:

Length of natural lochs 38 miles

Length of canal cuttings 22 miles

Total length of canal 20 miles

Summit level at Loch Oich 106 feet

Number of Locks 29

The canal slices through the Great Glen, which lies along an impressive fault line running northeast to southwest across Scotland and is occupied by four lochs in near perfect alignment – Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, the famous Loch Ness, and Loch Dochfour.

Our time on the canal was epic. We had a fantastic crew to help us through. John and Raji Allan stayed with us throughout, and Emily and her friend Imogen joined us halfway through. In the end, John proclaimed it “the trip of a lifetime.”

The next few blog entries capture some of the highlights. Read on…