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 After we passed Loch Oich, we enter a beautiful scenery with the name; Laggan Avenue. It's a part of the canal with high mountains on the northern bank and a valley on the south. The canal is simply cut out of the mountain rocks. At some distance in front it looks like the water level is lower. Even on the picture you can see this. Very strange! |
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| After we passed Loch Lochy, we arrive at the Gairlochy Locks. After closing time, of course, but we don't care for it. We go alongside a yacht with five students on board. They are very polite and friendly and we spend a nice evening on board with them. the next morning they even buy a bread for us in the village. That morning I woke up early and I see beautiful weather with big lifting clouds over Loch Lochy. The right moment to make some pictures. After Loch Lochy, which we didn't like so much after we saw Loch Oich and the Laggan Avenue, we now enter the last part of the canal, the part leading to Fort William. This track also offers a splendid view on the mountains in the south, slightly increasing in height, with the Ben Nevis to be the highest summit. While the other mountains have heights from 600 to 900 meters, the Ben Nevis is 1342 meters high. It's Great Britain's highest mountain. Though it is in July, on the northern slopes we still can see snow fields. We like to climb the mountain, but we have lack of time. Thus we depart from this splendid area to continue our trip to Fort William, to the last locks, the Banavie locks, or better known as; Neptune's Staircase... |  |
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| We arrive at Banavie just before the lunch break. So we have to wait. Down at the sea side a Navy vessel is waiting and they will let him go first. At 3 pm he is through and when we are down it's 5 pm. All afternoon busy, for three boats only!... It's the most ragged lock; one of the doors seems to fall completely from its hinges and after a quarter of an hour, many closing trials and pushed by the current, the door closes. Lucky we!... |
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| The Banavie Locks, better known as 'Neptune's Staircase' are the last ones we have to pass on our way to Hebrides and the Atlantic Ocean. It's a great piece of engineering and it has a flight of 8 locks. For the night we stay near Fort William. It's a village not worth to be visited. All streets are straight and the plan of the village is rectangular. It's neither fish nor fowl... When we tell this to a Scotchman his face starts smiling; 'You think so? You're right! That place is inhabited and built by the English!' All afternoon Ben Nevis had been without any cloud. But in the evening the clouds come back. | ||
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| We hear the sound of planes... A Shackleton flies over Loch Linnhe. We are back on tidal waters, but the current, wind and we go in the same direction. In Fort William we met a sad Englishman; 'From Inverness to here I had to struggle against the southwesterly wind. I had one dream; to sail back downwind. Now again I have to sail windward!' He didn't know our coming... |
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