Caledonian Canal

[Victoryv]

Not sure if this is posted in the right place, do excuse if wrong.

We are venturing forth on the Caledonian canal next week.

Anybody help with tips/pointers ?

Ta !

[Paul]

Yes, enjoy! The scenery is stunning

Download the canal guide from Scottish Canals ..... https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/caledonian-canal/

Drumnadrochit and the Nessie exhibition is a must, as are the Falls of Foyers, almost opposite across Loch Ness. Fort Augustus, in the middle of the canal is lovely with a very good pub alongside the flight of locks. There are not too many canalside shops but there is a very good one at The Well Of Seven Heads on Loch Oich, very useful for fresh milk, bread etc. At this time of year you should be well ahead of the midges. Remember the Loch's close at 5.30 in the spring and close for an hour at lunch times, usually between 12.00 and 2.00 

If you want to visit Fort William there is a good regular bus service right by the canal at Corpach.

 

[oldgregg]

Not sure if this is posted in the right place, do excuse if wrong.
We are venturing forth on the Caledonian canal next week.
Anybody help with tips/pointers ?
Ta !

It's a lovely waterway, quite different to the Broads and a little bit more of a challenge in places. Speed limits seem to be optional on most of the waterway.

There's no rush to moor up at lunchtime as there are more moorings than hire boats, although you are partly limited by the 9-5 operation of the lock keepers - Not an issue on the Lochs though obviously.

Loch Ness is immense, four hours to cross and twenty minutes across. Keep down the middle for the smoothest crossing, even though it can be a bit daunting.

Probably the nicest places to visit are Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit and of course the Falls of Foyers. The Clansman hotel is terrible and best avoided.

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[Broads01]

I've never been but I'd be interested to hear how you get on as I've long wanted to try the Caledonian. 

[Hylander]

We went in June and I don't recall that many moorings.  You certainly cannot more just anywhere.   We seemed to be unlucky because of the time of year,  very busy.  We also had the company of many Tall Ships .

 

 

[Maxwellian]

We went in 1976, probably a lot different now. We loved it, great place to visit scenery is serene. Good advice re Loch Ness re going down the middle. Have a great time.

[BroadAmbition]

My Bro' his MrsG and another couple are doing the Canal holiday on a hire boat this Summer for either ten days or a fortnight I think

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

6 hours ago, Maxwellian said:

We went in 1976, probably a lot different now. We loved it, great place to visit scenery is serene. Good advice re Loch Ness re going down the middle. Have a great time.

Hi Ian we went on the Caledonian Canal around a similar time to you, the locks at Laggan had collapsed so we could only go on Loch Long and Lock Ness.

The locks did not operate on Sunday so we could go no where  after picking the boat up on Saturday until Monday morning. The locks now have to be walked through going by the programmes I have seen, back then someone had to be on the boat with the engine running, our 25 foot steel hulled cruiser seemed very small in these ship sized locks.

These days there are pontoon moorings on the side of the canal, when we there were very few moorings, there were some moorings buoys on the lower end of Loch Ness that you could use, we did use one and floated around it , myself and Sharon (who was only baby were the only ones not feel sick, Tan, Heather and Chris were well under the weather.

Loch Ness can be like a mill pond one minute and like the sea in an other.

It was a great holiday none the less and we keep it in mind again for our bucket list.

If you can find the time to call in at Falkirk on the journey it is well worth the effort just to see the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel.

Regards

Alan 

[Hylander]

Perhaps I should have clarified when we went was about 20 years ago so it sounds as if there are more moorings now.     Sorry for the italic font  I cannot get rid of it.

[grendel]

Hylander, if you either click on the i  above the text box where you type your reply (and it should go back to background colour), or Ctrl i it should take you out of italics.

[Maxwellian]

We moored one night in the bay by Urquhart Castle on a bouy mooring. This guy was waving at us from the shore so we waved back, on hindsight we think he was telling us to get off his blxxxy mooring but we did not realise until after. We just thought the natives were friendly.

[oldgregg]

A lot of money was spent on the Caley in the late nineties, as the Locks were falling apart by that point. It all works fairly well now and there are a lot of pontoons for mooring at the popular places.

It's true that there are not an enormous number of towns you can moor at, but there are enough and there are nice spots such as Dochgarroch, Invergarry Castle, Laggan Locks or the Great Glen Water Park. You can also usually moor overnight on the transit pontoons for all of the Locks if it's after 5pm and so long as you move the boat before they open again in the morning.

Bouy and anchor moorings are not allowed anymore, but it's a very different situation to the Broads where you can be cruising at dusk desperately trying to find somewhere to moor and ending up tied up to a tree in the middle of nowhere.

[Victoryv]

Thank you for the helpful replies, we leave on Wed to slowly make our way up to Inverness, staying at Falkirk to see the wheel and the Kelpies.

Guessing it should be reasonably quite this time of year, so not worried about mooring etc

We have hired from Caley Cruisers, seem to be very nice people to deal with. 

Would have loved to hire something made of wood but though I searched nothing doing.

[oldgregg]

1 hour ago, Victoryv said:

We have hired from Caley Cruisers, seem to be very nice people to deal with. 

A wise choice - They're by far the better-maintained fleet of the two operating up there!

[Hylander]

16 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

A wise choice - They're by far the better-maintained fleet of the two operating up there!

I agree.

[lakesailor]

 

5 hours ago, Victoryv said:

Thank you for the helpful replies, we leave on Wed to slowly make our way up to Inverness, staying at Falkirk to see the wheel and the Kelpies.

Guessing it should be reasonably quite this time of year, so not worried about mooring etc

We have hired from Caley Cruisers, seem to be very nice people to deal with. 

Would have loved to hire something made of wood but though I searched nothing doing.

We have just spend last week up at loch ness caravan site  and the boat traffic on the loch was very quiet with just a few cruisers out and about.  Definitely recommend as have others to stop at Falkirk and see the wheel and the spectacular Kelpies  - try to view them at dusk as they are spectacular all lit up

[Victoryv]

Kelpies have been on my must see list for a long time, dusk?, the pubs are open then I think.

[Broads01]

8 hours ago, oldgregg said:

A lot of money was spent on the Caley in the late nineties, as the Locks were falling apart by that point. It all works fairly well now and there are a lot of pontoons for mooring at the popular places.

It's true that there are not an enormous number of towns you can moor at, but there are enough and there are nice spots such as Dochgarroch, Invergarry Castle, Laggan Locks or the Great Glen Water Park. You can also usually moor overnight on the transit pontoons for all of the Locks if it's after 5pm and so long as you move the boat before they open again in the morning.

Bouy and anchor moorings are not allowed anymore, but it's a very different situation to the Broads where you can be cruising at dusk desperately trying to find somewhere to moor and ending up tied up to a tree in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge oldgregg, really useful. 

You have a very pessimistic view of Broads moorings which I don't share but let's save that discussion for another time. 

[oldgregg]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge oldgregg, really useful. 
You have a very pessimistic view of Broads moorings which I don't share but let's save that discussion for another time. 

Well.. I was thinking of high season on the Broads.

It can be tricky if you leave it a bit late in the day and are in a popular area - But there's always a plan B, and of course the old 22KG Broadland handbrake.

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