🧭 Factsheet
Route: From Inverness to Port William (Corpach)
Period: 17 June to 23 June 2026
Logged: 60 miles
Highlight: Neptune’s Staircase in Banavie
📍 Our route & legs
Leg: Inverness → Gochgarroch
After exploring Inverness with our friends and loading the boat up with food for the coming days, we set off on 17 June at half past 12 towards the sea lock Clachnaharry. Our first canal leg started a bit rough with gusts around 25 knots and drizzle. Outside under the Kessock Bridge the flood water gave us a good bit of speed with 5 knots. From now on it was “uphill” as far as Loch Oich. After the first lock we had to wait an hour for the Muirtown swing bridge to open and used the stop to pick up a few forgotten bits in the nearby Co-op. The small flight of locks afterwards (Muirtown flight) was pretty strenuous for the shore crew, because the still very gusty wind sometimes pushed TIAMAT away from the lock wall. We were busy holding and pulling the boat into the next lock chamber. When we arrived in Gochgarroch in the afternoon there was a delicious ice cream there for everyone as a reward. The five and a half miles on the canal ended up keeping us busy for almost 5 hours. Travelling by canal takes its time.
Leg: Gochgarroch → Fort Augustus
The next morning the wind had almost died and we set off after a leisurely breakfast with rolls, crumpets and Scottish oatcakes.
The friendly lock keeper quickly finished mowing the strip of grass at the lock gate and then brought us up to Loch Ness. A British charter skipper with a motorboat was “not amused” about the delay. But whoever gets worked up about waiting times here can write off their holiday straight away. Everything runs a bit slower. And that is a very good thing. Unfortunately we could only sail the 20 or so miles across Loch Ness moderately well. Close-hauled, it takes anything above force 4 to get TIAMAT half decently moving. After the first third and around 1.5 knots average speed we gave up.
At the famous Urquhart Castle we decided against a stopover for a quick coffee as it started to drizzle. So we only took a few quick photos and carried on towards Fort Augustus. On the way we made plans for dinner: we wanted to get fresh chips from the supermarket and have burgers. Unfortunately there was no power on the lakeside pontoon and therefore no air fryer chips. The skipper was devastated.
Leg: Fort Augustus → Invergarry Castle
After staying a day in Fort Augustus because of rain and wind, and going hiking along Loch Ness instead of boating, we continued on to the next loch, Loch Oich. First we had to climb the flight of locks (Fort Augustus flight). Instead of holding the boat from shore with the lines again, we – as we did on the Göta Canal – led a line over the fore cleat to the winch in the cockpit. Tommy could then winch it in nicely and keep TIAMAT close to the lock wall.
We and two charter boats were the only ones in the lock that morning and many tourists watched us or stopped for a brief chat. A few miles and locks later we were on Loch Oich, the highest point of the canal at 32 metres. The loch is less famous, but we found it much more beautiful than Ness. Unfortunately the lake monster that supposedly lives here did not show itself to us either.
For the night we had chosen the pontoon at Invergarry Castle. We were lucky and there was a berth free for us. The wind was blowing right on the nose on Oich as well. If you travel the canal westbound, you rarely have the good fortune to get a real sailing day. We covered the 6 miles in just under 2 hours and still had the whole day to explore the castle and the surrounding area.
Leg: Invergarry Castle → Laggan Locks
Another little hop of 3 miles lay ahead of us for the start of summer. And now Scotland finally delivered some decent weather: pleasant temperatures, sunshine and hardly any wind. The ever more beautiful Scottish landscape drifted past. We agreed that this stretch, with the gently winding canal and the trees growing right at the water’s edge, was the most beautiful so far. At the Laggan Locks we moored opposite the famous pub barge and enjoyed the sunshine and lovely summer weather in the cockpit and on a short exploratory walk at Loch Lochy.
Leg: Laggan Locks → Banavie
We had to motor for another two hours across Loch Lochy. At the far end we passed through the Gairlochy lock into the last canal section. It is another lovely spot that would have been perfect for a break, as we had to wait for the lock opening and moor anyway. But we wanted to head straight on and asked the lock keeper to lock us through right away. We wanted to save the largest lock flight in Great Britain, Neptune’s Staircase, for the next day. So we moored in Banavie beforehand.
Leg: Banavie → Corpach
Neptune’s Staircase – or officially Banavie flight – is one of the longest flights of locks in Great Britain. The 8 chambers were not really strenuous downhill. The other way round would be a different story, as locking uphill is far more demanding. In the last lock we then had to wait what felt like forever for the railway bridge to open. The steam train “Jacobite train”, made famous by the Harry Potter films, crosses this bridge. I had hoped it would pass while we were waiting. But something, as we heard later, had apparently broken and caused the delay. So it arrived in Corpach at roughly the same time as we did.
We asked the lock keeper whether we could wait for a day in the outer basin in front of the sea lock Corpach and got the go-ahead. That way we did not have to head out onto Loch Linnhe in the south‑westerly wind and could go shopping once more. We also got to enjoy one more evening with the magnificent view of Ben Nevis. The pause is definitely worth it. Tomorrow TIAMAT can finally taste salt water again.
🗺️ Special experiences & learnings
- The Caledonian Canal had been on our wish list for a long time. Travelling the Great Glen by boat was very much worth it.
- Celebrating a birthday with friends on Neptune’s Staircase.
- Sailing on Loch Ness… even if only briefly.
⚓ Our favourite place on this trip
- Corpach
💡 Practical tips for follow‑on sailors
- With the prevailing south‑westerly wind, you are more likely to be able to sail the lochs on a canal trip from Corpach to Inverness than the other way round. But the scenery gets steadily more beautiful in the opposite direction. That way you have the best part at the end and you also do not have to go up the Staircase.
- If you want to stock up in Inverness, it is best to do so from the harbour lying in the canal (Inverness Seaport Marina). A Lidl and a Co‑op are right next door. If you are in the somewhat more out‑of‑the‑way Inverness Marina, you can alternatively take a taxi from the supermarket, which will take you back with your full bags for only about €12.
- The canal fee for our 11 metre boat was around €350 (2026). All berths are included in the price except Seaport Marina in Inverness. That only costs an additional roughly €20. Cheap compared with Inverness Marina, which at €51.50 per night is among the most expensive we have visited so far.
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