Fort William to Inverness

kennyh

kennyh

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Hi all

I’m sitting in the middle of some horrible weather and considering some better times!

I was dreaming of going from Fort William to Inverness in my Jeanneau Prestige 30S, and wondered if anyone here has made the trip before and thus have some tips to share?

It would be nice to do this in June or July.

Any thoughts on sights to see, locations to visit, restaurants to eat at, pubs to drink at?

Any thoughts/ tips?

Cheers
Kenny
 
I was inspired to buy my first boat after following the route of the Caledonian Canal several times on my motorcycle, up the A82. The scenery is awe inspiring, with much to see along the way. Fort Augustus is a popular stop for boats and bikes alike. You'l have several locks to contend with, but all are manned with helping hands, as far as I know. The only real problem is the midges in summer, but you'll develop an immunity to the itch after a week or so of abject misery (and I'm not kidding :D).

ps I've had a great feast and a late drink at the Loch Inn at Fort Augustus many times. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Resta...us_Loch_Ness_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html
 
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We’ve done it a few times both directions and it is great. Relaxing a wee bit of light work on the lock flights walking your ropes. All gates and bridges are hydrolic so no work. What ever you do, take your time, take your bikes and take your walking boots.

Stop in Corpach basin to see the steam train twice a day.
Top of Neptune’s staircase is an hours walk to Fort William, or you can get a bus.
Gairlochy Locks is nice, midge but nice, lots of birds to watch.
Laggan Locks has the Eagle pub on a barge.
Loch Oich is beautiful and a lovely out of the way pontoon at Glen Garry Hotel which is great for afternoon cream teas
Fort Augustus has some good hostelries and is bustling.
Inverness is within walking distance as well from Seaport Marina but if you stop at tomnahurich bridge you ar close to the leisure centre and the Winn Park.

Take your time.
 
be careful of calley cruisers they rent out boats one of them damaged our boat and the guy at calley would not pay for repairs ,also keep away from the working boats on the canal ,and especially in the locks as they will crush small boats when the water rushes in ,but it is worth the trip ,r
 
Done it twice in last two years. Great trip, and Canal staff were very friendly and helpful.
Take plenty of fenders to reduce stress in locks with hire craft.

Only thing would add - Loch Ness can be seriously rough in strong winds (“rougher than the North Sea crossing from Norway” is a comment we have heard more than once) and limited shelter or places to stop.
So check the weather forecast, and wait for another day more than a lightish headwind. On a good day it is an easy trip - and you want flat water to see Nessie ! But check the forecast
 
I have only done the trip once (in 2000) so things may have changed. It was one of the highlights of our boating life with wonderful scenery and much fun. I can certainly endorse the views about hire cruisers although they weren't too much of a problem in mid June. I guess they might be a bit more problematic in the height of the holiday season.

I guess we were lucky with Loch Ness and the North Sea (Lerwick to Bergen) as both were pretty much flat calm.

We are planning a cruise to Scotland this year (first since 2012) and may renew acquaintance with the "Cally."
 
dunedin said:
..........

Only thing would add - Loch Ness can be seriously rough in strong winds (“rougher than the North Sea crossing from Norway” is a comment we have heard more than once) and limited shelter or places to stop....
Click to expand...

Relax ... Never seen Loch Ness as bad as NS ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YivlDK4aRmY

Lovely journey and can only echo what others have said .... plenty of fenders, good ropes and let the rental cruisers go ahead of you into the locks etc., and you're in for a spectacular journey!!
 
ooh ... and midgies .. never worry ..

a small pot plant of mint in the galley ... keep a leaf behind the ear (or in cap) and break every now & then, replace when not effective any more .. old lock keepers trick.... mostly an issue at the top around Loch Oich ... but if you time your journey to arrive at locks in daytime and not as the wind settles for the night, then there will be less of the little creatures around...
 
Thanks all for the replies so far!

Re the Midges - I’ve boated for 30+ years on Loch Lomond so know how ferocious the buggers can be - especially after a downpour!

My boat is well equipped with many a local midge repellent along with midge hoods and fly screens for when it gets REAL bad.

I’ve done a trip on the Canal du Midi and thus have experienced the joys of locks - and now I come to think of it I remember saying to myself that there would not be a chance in hell that I’d take my own boat through a lock - a well perhaps that’ll change ;-)

Keep the war stories coming and thanks all for the tips.
 
Assuming you're doing Clyde, then through Crinan Canal, up via Carobh, Cuan Sound, Oban, then inside Lismore Island and onto Fort William through Corran Narrows...

Corran Narrows can be a bit awkward if you hit it on the fast ebbing tide (going in) and obviously other way going out, so try to time that one ...

Call ahead (Mobile phone) to the Sea Lock at Corpac (Info here... https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/caledonian-skippers-guide-rev.pdf) and let them know about your intended arrival, back this up witha VHF call when just past the half way mark at Loch Lhinne ~(their VHF's a hand-held unit, so limited range... ). If you call ahead, they can advise you of when to arrive as they try to line up departures/arrivals with a combination of tide, and departures/arrivals. If you let them know about intention t stay down in the basin, then you may have some more flexibility in timings as the same team as handles the Seal lock, also handles the next service lock up the way. Stay at basin, or the reach for one night if you want to experience the steam train ... also recommend an afternoon stroll (15 - 20 min)up the reach to Neptunes Staircase to see what you are facing the following day (Road bridge, train bridge + several locks in succession , which will be a couple of hours watching ropes and fenders ...

The-Crossing-Day-1-Neptunes-staircase-442x281.jpg


Canal staff are excellent and if you are a bit worried, then they quickly lay your worries at rest... and you won't have rental cruisers to contend with from The Sea Lock and up Neptunes Staircase ... just the beginning of spectacular scenery ....
 
Great advice; thanks!

But call this cheating, but I might just get my boat hauled by road to Fort William. Avoiding the Crinan etc.

I need to get a hoist and haulage to get out of Loch Lomond anyway, so I’m thinking I may as well get road transport to Fort William, or at least to Oban; saving a few sea miles and a few days through the Crinan and up.

Decisions, decisions
 
kennyh said:
..........
I need to get a hoist and haulage to get out of Loch Lomond anyway, so I’m thinking I may as well get road transport to Fort William, or at least to Oban; saving a few sea miles and a few days through the Crinan and up.

Decisions, decisions
Click to expand...

Not cheating ... may be missing out on a journey .. but then again, you have the return .. Plonk in the water at Dunstaffenage (just North of Oban) and have a couple of hours and experience the grand sea arrival into the Great Glen watching Ben Nevis from the sea ....setting you up to the expectations you may have of the Caledonian Canal ...
 
We did the trip last July from Inverness across to Fort William and then onto Oban.

The canal was stunning. We took a very leisurely week to go one way and managed to moor everywhere we wanted even though it was the middle of summer.

We chose our moorings carefully and stuck to the very end of the pontoons where possible to try and reduce the chance of being hit by the hire boats.

It was a trip we will certainly do again at some point.
 
Is it possible to anchor anywhere for the grandkids to have a swim? They keep asking but it looks like it will be too cold in the deeper water. Going in August.
 
We anchored in Dores Bay at the end of Loch Ness. Lovely pub on the beach.

It did shelf up quite steeply but the anchor held well enough.

Water was cold though in July!





 
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