Banavie to Fort Augustus, Caledonian Canal
Tied up alongside the wharf at Banavie Lord of the Glens enjoyed a peaceful night under the shadow of Ben Nevis; the highest mountain in Scotland. Scotch mist enveloped us and our surroundings as we departed this morning; we were heading northeast along the canal. The mist soon was to lift, exposing lush green views of our surroundings and mountain views beyond. The contrast of having been out on the open sea to tranquillity of the canal was quite remarkable as we made our way along our peaceful waterway. We met two sailing yachts coming towards us, and for a moment, as they made their approach it looked unlikely that there was room for them to pass. The canal proved to be just wide enough for them to squeeze by. In what seemed like no time at all we had reached the swing bridge at Moy and the locks at Gairlochy.
Once we had ascended the locks we were out into Loch Lochy, the first of the fresh water lochs that are connected by sections of canal that make up the Caledonian Canal. As we made our way along Loch Lochy, Rick Atkinson gave a light hearted presentation of his experiences exploring and sailing the West Coast of Scotland. At the northeast end of Loch Lochy we went up through another flight of lochs at Laggan and entered the outstandingly beautiful stretch of water known as Loch Oich; surrounded by the lands of the Mc Donalds’. From here we started our descent toward Loch Ness, passing through the Locks at Cullochy, Kytra and Fort Augustus. At Aberchalder Swing Bridge one of the well known characters of the canal was waiting for us. Skipper a lovely golden retriever knows the sound of our vessel and knows it is likely to receive a high quality snack when we pass! The stretches of water that link these locks are delightfully peaceful and scenic. Our descent of the flight of five locks at Fort Augustus was enjoyed not only by us but by hundreds of tourists along side the Locks.
Once down through the Locks and tied up to the Oich Pier at the entrance to Loch Ness a range of activities were available, kayaking, cycling, walking or just exploring the village. In the evening after another excellent meal most of us retired to the lounge for a whisky tasting extravaganza and explanation of some of the mysteries of this remarkable beverage.
