Caledonian Canal

The Caledonian Canal, a 62-mile route that connects the North Sea at Inverness with the Atlantic Ocean at Fort William is one of the most impressive feats of engineering anywhere in the UK. Thomas Telford was the genius of this spectacularly engineered project, which connects a string of lochs (including Loch Ness) with a system of canals using a number of locks. The multiple ‘Neptune’s Staircase’ locks at Banavie and the system at Fort Augustus are attractions in their own right, and you can walk or cycle on the towpaths or canoe its length too. It is also possible to hire a boat for a live-aboard week's trip up and down the canal from Caley Cruises and a number of other operators.