The still, misty waters of the Caledonian Canal at Banavie were glassy and mesmerizing as we awoke to welcome sun and calm, calm winds. The sail from Banavie to Fort Augustus was simply wonderful as we slid slowly and softly forward through the engineering marvel that is the Caledonian Canal. Along the way Steve, Stewart and Ian pointed out some of the more interesting and obscure features of the thought and design that went into this long, mainly man-made waterway.
Ian gave a morning presentation on “The Wildlife of Scotland,” covering a surprisingly large and diverse array of mammals, birds and other Scottish “beasties.” This was followed later in the morning when Steve explained some of the complexities of the forthcoming referendum in Scotland on separation from the rest of the United Kingdom, a subject many of us had been curious about since learning of it.
Our afternoon stop was in the very busy little village of Fort Augustus that straddles the five locks that run right through the center of the village. Being a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, the banks of the canal were crowded with day-trippers, yachtsmen and the generally curious, all snapping pictures and staring in awe as Lord of the Glens descended the series of locks in solemn majesty.
Loch Ness was traversed safely and uneventfully with “Nessie” obviously having taken the afternoon off from tourist-scaring. However, thanks to the skill of Captain Still, we were treated to a very up-close view of ruined Urquhart Castle, reflecting the evening sun just perfectly.
But the evening closed after dinner with a truly Scottish experience: a whisky tasting! Not only were we offered samples of several types and styles of whisky but we were also given a thorough history and technical description of the manufacturing process by Jon Beach, an aficionado of Scotland’s national drink.
A good day; simply a good day.
