Scotland: Caledonian Canal - Houseboating through the Highlands (Part 2)
Christian Tiedt
· 03.12.2023
- You can find part 1 of our report here.
The flybridge is a pleasant place to be, with hardly a sound of the engine and stern water. Looking ahead, the boat seems to stand still - no wonder with this vast panorama. The flanking mountains reach as far as the horizon. The gap at the end of this escape leads to our destination, Inverness on the North Sea. Apart from the A82, which runs along the northern shore and is recognisable by the toy-sized articulated lorries and coaches, the traces of civilisation on either side are limited. Individual cottages, larger lodges and a campsite can be made out. There is also the white block of the Foyers hydroelectric power station. The historic cemetery of the Fraser clan, on the other hand, remains completely hidden and we only learn about it from Google Maps. Instead, a fringe of forest stretches along the banks. Above, the colours of the heather vegetation change from pale ochre to deep reddish brown. In between, light-coloured rocks glow in the sunlight.
It's a dreamy, almost meditative drive and after a good two hours we're halfway there. No sign of Nessie, which is perhaps because we stuck to the one whisky last night.
No suspicious wave, no hump breaking the surface of the water. But instead there is an encounter of a completely different kind. Within seconds, a mighty roar swells from astern: Two Royal Air Force Eurofighters have taken direct aim at us at low level, barely a hundred metres above the surface, thundering towards us and only breaking away to the right at the last moment, only to be mere dots in the distance shortly afterwards. We marvel in silence. No wonder that even monsters prefer to stay low.
We continue on for another hour until the mountains on either side gently fade away, signalling the nearby coast. At Lochend, the loch ends in a wide bay with a stone beach, bordered by a yellow crescent of gorse. We follow the fairly narrow fairway into the adjoining small Loch Dochfour, where a few boats are moored on buoys. The outflow of the River Ness branches off to the right with a long weir. This is followed by several hundred metres of cliff edge, which is sure to be flooded at high tide. Fly fishermen cast their silvery lines in the river. We reach Dochgarroch Lock shortly before three and tie up to wait for a counter lock.
Meanwhile, the resident of the pretty cottage surrounded by flowers feeds her tortoises at the waiting area in the front garden. We are soon waved into the lock chamber.
As it is only a level lock, we also pass through quickly. Behind it, a colourful mixture of pleasure craft of all kinds - sailing boats, motor cruisers, converted cutters - now slumber on long jetties. Many would pass as museum pieces, but only a few are in the right condition. We now pass walkers and joggers on the tow path to the right and left. To the right, further down, is the river, behind which the first neighbourhoods of Inverness begin. On the left, gorse covers entire slopes. Without having to wait, the two swing bridges of Torvean and Tomnahurich open up, one modern, the other old. And then we reach the charter base of Caley Cruisers, right in front of the top gate of the Inverness lock stairs. It remains closed to us, charter boats are not allowed to go any further. Which makes sense, as there is only one other marina and the sea lock of the canal below - and the North Sea would not be an area for our Horizon even on a good day.
In the evening in Inverness
In the evening, we head into town, across the lock and in a straight line towards the city centre and the river. The swaying Greig Street Bridge, another delicate Victorian wonder made of riveted wrought iron, takes us to Church Street, where there's still plenty going on. The first bagpipe sounds of the trip are actually coming from the Highlander, but there's no room inside. Lucky, perhaps, because as we learn later, it's "a new tourist trap". On the other hand, we would have loved to be captured. So we move on. The kitchen at the Hootananny has been closed for five minutes and there are hundreds of whiskies in the rustic Malt Room, but nothing to eat. We come to the Union and then to High Street, the pedestrianised area where two women play folk music, and finally end up at Revolution, a stylish place with an international menu.
Afterwards, we try the "Hootenanny" again, where there is supposed to be live music - and indeed, a colourful group of jigs and reels play together in a relaxed atmosphere, along with one or two folk songs.
Open Session is on the programme board. Amongst others, a long-haired metal fan with a cello, a Pakistani with a bodhran and the two girls from the street with a fiddle and an accordion are part of the group. Great atmosphere, all the chairs are turned round to the music and "The Parting Glass" is accompanied by vocals from the audience. And it's still far from last orders. Black Isle Red Kite and Yellowhammer continue to flow from the taps into the night.
The return journey is imminent. Once again we pass the two swing bridges on the outskirts of Inverness and can enter Dochgarroch Lock immediately and we are soon back on Loch Ness. Fortunately, we only have to drive for a good hour, then Urquhart Castle comes into view ahead and Urquhart Bay to the right. The buoyed fairway to Drumnadrochit harbour is easy to make out. Even though the concrete-lined rectangle is otherwise almost empty - apart from two motor yachts equipped for the hunt for Nessie and another charter boat.
Visit Urquhart Castle
It's pretty here, with trees on two sides, picnic tables and a small service building. The nearby country road is barely noticeable, at least not during the day. After all, it is the only harbour directly on Loch Ness. It was opened in 1999 and the rescue centre was added in 2017. With its blue gate and the hidden RIB behind it, it also looks rather deserted.
A display case on the rescue shed reveals that the last rescue mission took place in 2019, a machine breakdown. Yet another indication that there is no horror lurking in the dark depths.
We walk just under two kilometres to Drumnadrochit, but not to visit the Nessieland adventure exhibition (we suspect that we won't learn any more about the existence of the shy, apparently immortal prehistoric creature there than we did in the previous days), but to catch the bus to Urquhart Castle at the post office. This historical relic, although much younger and only preserved as a skeleton (made of walls), can at least be reliably visited. The visitor centre of the castle, which was one of the largest in the country during its heyday, offers an insight into Scotland in the Middle Ages, the structure of the clans on the Great Glen, feuds and campaigns, sometimes against the crown, sometimes together with it. And last but not least, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Loch Ness from the battlements of the keep.
After a weak draught in the morning, the wind turns back to the south-west within half an hour of setting off and increases noticeably, from two to three Beaufort, later to four. Now we realise just how rough it can be on Loch Ness.
At the same time, the landscape seems wilder and more pristine, the colours more vibrant than three days ago. The water is now deep blue, the white crests of the crests coming towards us shine white. Paddlers drift before the wind, some with sails. Others have pulled their boats onto narrow stone beaches and pitched tents. Campfires flicker. The clouds rush over us, sometimes as a veil, pale and translucent, sometimes as slate-grey mountains with silver ridges. The waves become steeper and steeper, the wind stronger and stronger, the narrower the lake becomes in the south. As if it were the seat of the weather gods themselves, Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, rises above the horizon at the end of this escape.
It's another image that will stay with us from our extraordinary journey on the Caledonian Canal, on our own keel across the Scottish Highlands.
Our charter boat
Horizon 1 (GRP displacement) - length: 11.50 m - width: 4.25 m - berths: 4 (2 double cabins) - WC/shower: 1/1 - special equipment: bow and stern thruster, second steering position (inside), gas grill, oven, air conditioning, flybridge with canopy. Price examples depending on season: € 1838 (start: 30.3.2024), € 3608 (start: 6.7.2024), € 2238 (start: 21.9.2024)
The charter company
We were travelling on a boat from Le Boat's Horizon series in the version with two double cabins (above). The company, which is represented in a total of eight European countries and Canada, also offers other boat types of different sizes and price ranges at this destination. In Scotland, the base is operated in Laggan. From there, trips such as the one described with Loch Ness in the direction of the North Sea to Inverness are possible, but you can also choose the other direction via Loch Lochy to Fort William, Scotland's centre for outdoor activities in the Ben Nevis region.
Information: Le BoatTheodor-Heuss-Str. 53-63, Eing. B, 61118 Bad Vilbel, Tel. 06101-557 91 75.
- You can find part 1 of our report here.
