Boating on the Caledonian Canal is a unique way to see Scotland's wilderness
- Spectacular mountain scenery from your hire boat
- Hiking & hill walking
- Whisky distillery tours
- Fishing, wildlife & bird-watching
- Loch Ness Monster spotting
Useful Info for Scotland
A quick look at a Caledonian Canal map shows that the waterway connects the North Atlantic with the North Sea. The 100-kilometre (62-mile) passage runs from Loch Linnhe to Moray Firth, only about 37 kilometres (23 miles) of it is manmade and these canals have locks to raise and lower boats. The rest follows the main lochs of Lochy, Oich and Ness. The lochs are spectacularly beautiful with deep, crystal-clear water. Loch Ness, home to Nessie the monster, has a depth of 230 metres (775 feet). The loch is 39 kilometres (24 miles) long.
Heading northeast from our base at Laggan on Caledonian canal cruises, you’ll soon reach Loch Oich, the highest point on the passage at 32 metres (106 feet) above sea level. That’s not very high, and yet Mount Ben Nevis at Fort William rises 1,344 metres (4,409 feet), indicating the heights that surround you. At Oich, the waters flow to the sea from both directions.
The waters of Pentland Firth, a channel between Scotland and the Orkney Islands, are very rough, requiring perilous voyages to get from the North Sea to the Atlantic. In 1803, work began on the Caledonian Canal to create a shortcut, and it continued for 19 years! The waterway opened in 1822, but it wasn’t a commercial success. A visit from Queen Victoria in 1873 kicked off the interest amongst tourists. Today, more than 500,000 people visit the canal every year.
The Caledonian Canal offers you variety and ease of navigation. Exercise caution on lochs if the wind kicks up.
Lock keepers operate the 29 locks on the short canal sections.
There are only about 10 locks on most cruising itineraries. Lifejackets must be worn in the locks.
Opening hours:During the busy summer season locks are open 08:00-18:00 (6:00 p.m.). Locks are closed for one hour for lunch between the hours of 12:00 and 14:00 (2:00 p.m.).
Public holidays: Locks are always open.
Sheltered moorings are always nearby on the large stretches of open water of Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. Moorings are plentiful on the canal. There is a charge of £10 per day for the use of all waterside facilities and moorings along the Caledonian Canal, which we are required to collect in advance of your cruise. This will be added, as a cost, onto your booking.
Top 10 secret gems of the Caledonian Canal
Banavie’s distilleries
Great Glen Water Park
Urquhart Castle
Clansman Centre in Fort Augustus
Loch Ness Visitor Centre
Inverness’s Fortrose Cathedral
West Highland Railway
Cycling Ben Nevis
Inverness’s Cawdor Castle
Fort William’s West Highland Museum.
Similar Regions:
If you like the look of Scotland, why not exploring similar cruising destinations nearby like Ireland or Norfolk Broads (UK).
You can arrange taxi transfer between our bases and your airport or train station. Our base info documentation on our Plan your travel section will provide to you contact details & rates of local taxis.
Notes: In Ireland, we can arrange private transfers from/to main airports in advance – please ask your sales team for more details
- GPS: W4° 49.576` / N57° 1.575`
- Highway A82, exit "Spean Bridge" (25 km away) or exit "Invergarry" (10 km away)
- Spean Bridge (24km)
- Inverness (65km)
- Fort William (40km)
- Inverness (80km)