Loch Ness - Abriachan

[Polwart]

I'll be holidaying for a week on the North Shore of Loch Lomond for a family holiday with bikes etc.

I am planning to take the boat - and it looks like Dorres will be suitable for launching - but it does mean running around to the otherside of the loch each time. I'm wondering if anyone here know what state the "old pier" at Abriachan is in - and if you would leave a 4m boat there in good weather?

I've read the threads on here from people who "transited" the Caley Canal but has anyone spent much time just leisurely cruising the loch? Would you recommend any of the pubs etc that might be accessible by boat for lunch?

[SPR]

Hi,

I spent two day on loch ness whilst doing safety cover for a race from Corpach to North Kessock.

The three places we stayed was Fort Agustus , Urquhar Bay (harbour), Lifeboat Slipway campsite there stayed one night in a hotel who owns the Brachla Harbour.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=loc...:-4.45:17|loch ness|Loch Ness

Foyers is another stopping point,

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=loc...:-4.45:17|loch ness|Loch Ness

Dores I believe has slip that you can use too, and campsite.


I didnt have much time to socailise since was safety cover, few good hotels in for agustus and nice b & b where i stayed.

The south side of loch is pretty barron, and would consider taking sea anchor since loch is very very deep....


if you need more info i will tax my mind more. think was 2005 last time there.


S.

PS. If you ever looking for place to visit on Forth, Elie welcomes powerboaters, http://www.eesc.org.uk . Let me in advance i will arrange for you to get refuelled and can use club house.


S.

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by SPR

The south side of loch is pretty barron, and would consider taking sea anchor since loch is very very deep....

mmm... hadn't considered that.

If you ever looking for place to visit on Forth, Elie welcomes powerboaters, http://www.eesc.org.uk . Let me in advance i will arrange for you to get refuelled and can use club house.

thank - might do that sometime... ...my problem seems to be whenever I get a "pass" to go out and play - the weather is crap!

[SPR]

Brachla Harbour - looks like it has a slip from local.live.co.uk , as i said was not on loch looking for slips.

http://www.multimap.com/s/OC9AAZDB at top of that looks supiciously like a slip!, knows nothing about it who ownes etc.

S.

[Polwart]

SPR - thanks thats great. The holiday cottage we have booked is only about a mile from there. I'll need to investigate it and update boatlaunch if its useable. I think that harbour is owned by the hotel across the road - so I'll see if I can work out what the story is.

[JSP]

Keep this thread updated please mate.

[Richard Selman]

Launched the old boat at Dores twice. Its pretty good and of course it doesn't matter if the vehicle goes in the water (slip turns into pebbles). Dores inn is right next to slip of course......

Only problem is that it can get quite rough in the corner if the wind picks up - always seems to run up the loch.

We had to reccy the loch for possible launching/recovery sites for the Loch Ness Monster Catamaran race a few times (possible third race this year). For such a big stretch of water there is not much.

There is a very rough slip of sorts next to the Brachla harbour but it did not look much use.

One of the 5m rescue boats launched at Fort Augustus OK but I don't know what the slip is like - he had a Defender.

The other alternative is to go in at Caley marina in inverness and run down the river (a couple of locks to go through to get to the loch).

Will be taking the new boat across there in a couple of weeks.

Richard

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by Richard Selman

Launched the old boat at Dores twice. Its pretty good and of course it doesn't matter if the vehicle goes in the water (slip turns into pebbles). Dores inn is right next to slip of course......

Only problem is that it can get quite rough in the corner if the wind picks up - always seems to run up the loch.

We had to reccy the loch for possible launching/recovery sites for the Loch Ness Monster Catamaran race a few times (possible third race this year). For such a big stretch of water there is not much.

There is a very rough slip of sorts next to the Brachla harbour but it did not look much use.

One of the 5m rescue boats launched at Fort Augustus OK but I don't know what the slip is like - he had a Defender.

The other alternative is to go in at Caley marina in inverness and run down the river (a couple of locks to go through to get to the loch).

Will be taking the new boat across there in a couple of weeks.

Richard

thanks Richard - rough at Dorres shouldn't be a problem as with young kids and a small boat will only be going out if its very nice anyway. The downside for Dorres for me is its "round the corner" from the cottage so with kids having about an hour attention span on the boat its a bit too far to be convenient (tow boat, launch boat, play in boat, recover boat, tow boat) to do several times in a week thats supposed to not just be about the boating!

My boats only little - but I only have a normal car so I'll suss out the Brachla harbour slip and see if its worth the risk. The other option (which is where I was going initially) is to launch it at the start of the week and keep her afloat till the end - then its easy to use for a little trip to get lunch / dinner etc. Brachla harbour looks like it might be an option for that depending on their view of visitors. Their is an old pier at Abriachan which the only photo I have found of it looks rather poor - but I did wonder if I would be able to tie off to that - but not sure how exposed it is?

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by JSP

Keep this thread updated please mate.

will do - i'll try to get some pictures and detail to update boatlaunch with too.

[Richard Selman]

Not sure whether you could keep the boat in Brachla harbour as the Jacobian cruise boats are flying back and forward to the castle. Also I remember that the sides of the harbour are pretty high to accomodate easy access to the cruise boats and not too friendly for us that are closer to the water. Don't remember a ladder.

You might get a small boat down the 'slip'. Its located just on the north side of the harbour by the ticket office/shed. The new ticket office might be in the way now. There used to be a 16' fletcher type hardboat in the weeds.

Richard