by Jim and Melanie
The city of Inverness opens to the North Sea via the Beauly and Moray Firths. The city of Fort William opens to the Atlantic Ocean via Loch Linnhe. Three inland lochs (lakes) Ness, Oich, and Lochy are aligned between the two cities along a geological fault called the Great Glen Fault. It was formed about 400 million years ago.
Navigation by ship between regions around Inverness and Fort William was a long and dangerous undertaking over 200 years ago. They had to go around the islands to the west, or around England to the south. Both journeys faced hazards of weather and piracy. The trips took a long time.
A canal was proposed to be built between Inverness and Fort William which would drastically shorten the journey. Much of the 60 miles would utilize the lochs. To raise and lower ships, a system of 29 locks were to be built. The system was called the Caledonian Canal. On 27 July 1803, an Act of Parliament authorized the canal project. It opened in 1822 nearly 12 years later than planned at a cost nearly double the estimate.
The finished canal system allowed ships to cross from the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest to the North Sea on the northeast, without endangering their ships and cargo. In truth, the canal was never a commercial success for shipping. However, the rugged beauty of the area led it to become a tourist attraction.
Holiday Barge Cruises
The company Caledonian Discovery Ltd. formed in 1996, proposing to offer holiday cruises by barge along the canal. It operated one barge until 2013 when a second was added. We booked a cruise from Inverness to Fort William. It was a cruise of 7 days. Each night the barge was tied up to a pier or at anchor as we made our way to the southwest.
The trip we engaged emphasized hiking the hills and trails along the way. We also had bikes available, and one day we canoed. Some of the company’s other trips include wildlife spotting, music, and kayaking. Check their site if you’re interested in more information.
Arrival at the Barge
We stayed overnight in Inverness about a mile from where the barge was moored. With suitcases rolling behind us, we walked to our destination. Though we’d seen photos, we felt a rush of excitement as we walked up to the pier.
Robbie, red-haired and genial, greeted us. He handed our suitcases down the hatch to Steve, who showed us to our cabin.
Quarters are tight on the barge. It hosts a maximum of 12 passengers and typically runs with four crew members at a time. For our trip there were only six passengers including us.
Each of the passenger cabins is about 7′ x 8′. That includes all floor space, bunk beds, and a set of shelves and a small closet. Also in the cabin is a tiny sink. The cabins are en suite, with an adjoining toilet and shower. The shower had great water pressure and comfortably hot water.
The common areas felt roomy in comparison. The dining table had space for all passengers and crew to eat together, though it would be quite tight with 12 passengers rather than six. The galley kitchen adjoined the dining area, separated by a window. Our able chef, Kevin, created wonderful meals in abundant proportions. We had both meat and vegetarian options for all meals, but I think everyone ate everything. Click on any picture to see the gallery.
- Adam, our trusty captain.
- Common space view toward the galley and hatch.
- Steep stairs at the hatch. Note the bar at left.
- Common area and hallway to cabins viewed from the galley.
First Day of Travel
Our barge was tied to a pier about a mile from the actual beginning of the Caledonian Canal. We all walked along the towpath to the beginning lock and then back. By that time the Fingal was ready to depart. We continued walking another 5 or 6 miles to where it would be parked for the first night. Fingal had to leave at a particular time in order to have a highway bridge open for passage.
We walkers got a fair distance ahead of the slow moving barge. We were at the swing bridge when she arrived.
- Fingal approaching a highway swing bridge.
- The bridge is hinged at the right.
- It swings clear of the canal in about a minute or two.
- Nearly all the way and ready for water traffic to pass.
With the highway swing bridge cleared, Fingal was allowed passage. Melanie was on board and offered her fine rendition of the Queen Wave. At the end of the video watch as the swing bridge closes.
We spent the first evening getting acquainted with our fellow passengers and crew. After dinner (salmon filet with béarnaise sauce, followed by dessert and a cheese plate) Adam, our captain, reviewed the day’s progress by boat, while Steve reviewed the activity for the day. They also told us the next day’s plan and options for activities.
We’ll have a couple more posts on the cruise. One will focus on the locks, with a few comments on their engineering. Join us on our adventure.
Reblogged this on How I See It and commented:
Part one of a great vacation in Scotland.
Reblogged this on Catbird Quilt Studio and commented:
Part 1 of a great vacation in Scotland. Climb aboard!
Sounds great!
It was!
I’m enjoying the holiday all over again reading your description
Hi Anne. It’s good to hear from you. 🙂
Oh I would have loved to try this, I lived in Scotland for a few years and once visited the Urquhart Castle in Inverness. I’m sure you had fun 🙂
We did have fun! We actually passed the Urquhart Castle quite early in the morning of the second day. I’m not sure any of the passengers were topside by then. But my goodness the scenery is spectacular!
It really is, especially if you go on the boat ride 🙂
This looks like an adventure Craig and I need to explore!
We’re eager to get together with you two soon, compare notes.
We can give you all the details.
This must have been a blast. Great post – looking forward to the rest of the series.
Thanks.
It was. We planned a long time for it. Nice when things work out.
I enjoyed the videos, the photos and the story – what a great trip that must have been!
It was a great trip. We were able to do almost everything we wanted before heading home.
Lovely post. Born and bred in the UK, I’ve never visited Scotland! Looking at your photos, I’m convinced it’s a long overdue trip I need to make. Looking forward to your next posts.
Time to put it on your list. There are plenty of historical sites I think you’d enjoy, as well as the gorgeous scenery.
Looks like you were lucky with the weather. I’m waiting to find out if you caught any glimpses of the monster!
The weather was good. As to the monster, hold that thought!
It is in a later picture. 🙂
Great post! This is most interesting when we make plans for our trip next spring. Thanks for sharing!
Best regards, Dina
Feel free to contact us if you have questions. We’re no experts, but if you ever want opinions, we have ’em!
Thank you so much! That’s very kind, we’ll get back to you. 😊
What a neat way to see Scotland! We plan to go next fall and do more of the islands–Outer Hebrides and Orkneys–but I’ll file this idea away for future reference. And I was wondering about Nessie, too . . .
Yours is a trip I’d like to take, too. As to Nessie, next post…
Everything looks wonderful: the barge, the scenery, the pace. I can imagine the opportunities for hiking and exploring on land appealed to you, too. It’s nice to have a smaller group — that would be my preference. No Carnival cruises for me! I’m eager for your next postings.
You are right about the pace and scenery. There was much to see and enjoy. Sadly, the week went by too fast.
We are working on the next part. Stay tuned. 🙂
What a fun idea! I visited Skye, Inverness, and some other spots in 1995 and traveled about by bus, I remember going by Loch Ness but there was no monster that day 🙂
You might enjoy going back. We also did a Rabbies tour by small bus and enjoyed that.
Very interesting, I’m glad you shared, didn’t know about these small cruises.
We stumbled on someone else’s blog this spring, which gave a bit about it. As we followed up we decided it was a great way to see an isolated part of the Highlands. Truly it was. Thanks for taking a look.
Have you been to other Caribbean islands? There are no small cruises for those. One has to take the big cruises, unfortunately. Some people like them, and there are very cheap rates. I thought of seeing some islands this way, but these journeys could make me claustrophobic since they are so big and can keep you inside as long as they need to.
Besides Cuba, long ago we went to Jamaica but not on a cruise. We did cruise to the Bahamas even longer ago. Now the ships are so huge they don’t look like fun.
I agree. The big ships don’t interest me at all.
We found out about it from another person’s blog.
Wonderful post! I guess they figured most people only sleep in their quarters, why use up valuable real estate on sleeping births. Lucky you had a small attendance, I think I would have preferred that too. The food sound delicious! Looking forward to the series.
What a find! This sounds like such a good use of the canal, redeeming it and providing a wonderful way to see the country.
I agree. The region is popular for boating, hiking, and skiing. The people of Scotland have a wonderful resource.