The Caledonian Canal

[Brian]

I am seeking information on the Caledonian Canal.
I have looked through their website but it still does not answer all the questions I have.
I would be pleased to hear from someone who has done this trip, specifically:

1. Where to stay en-route (assuming it cannot be done in a day) and is accommodation pre-booking a requisite?
2. Refueling points for petrol?
3. Are long mooring lines necessary for the locks?
4. Fenders ditto?
5. What fees are payable?
6. Any other general advice would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[Andy Gee]

Originally Posted by Brian

I am seeking information on the Caledonian Canal.
I have looked through their website but it still does not answer all the questions I have.
I would be pleased to hear from someone who has done this trip, specifically:

1. Where to stay en-route (assuming it cannot be done in a day) and is accommodation pre-booking a requisite?
2. Refueling points for petrol?
3. Are long mooring lines necessary for the locks?
4. Fenders ditto?
5. What fees are payable?
6. Any other general advice would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

3. Yep but better to use "Old" lines as they can get mingin (dirty)
4. Yep I would just to give added protection, alothough is been done up in the past few years.
6. Try to sneak in behing someone else bigger then you then you can tie along side and it makes for easier work with a couple of boats and bodies
For further info it should be in the Almanac
HTH
Andy

[Allen]

Originally Posted by Brian

I am seeking information on the Caledonian Canal.
I have looked through their website but it still does not answer all the questions I have.
I would be pleased to hear from someone who has done this trip, specifically:

1. Where to stay en-route (assuming it cannot be done in a day) and is accommodation pre-booking a requisite?
2. Refueling points for petrol?
3. Are long mooring lines necessary for the locks?
4. Fenders ditto?
5. What fees are payable?
6. Any other general advice would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

It will take longer than you think. Pay no attention to the theoretical passage time as this does not allow for arriving at a set of locks five mins late and having to wait nearly two hours for the boats to come the otherway before its your turn again. OIt took us the best part of two days to get through.

Depends on the time of year you're travelling. We arrived at the Inverness end at about 1030 and reached Loch Ness in mid afternoon having booked accomodation in Drumnadrochit. That was a mistake. We should have pressed on and got through the Fort Augustus locks that same day. I guess there are places to stay there.

Fort William is at the bottom end so loads of places to stay are a short taxi ride away.

My general advice is to press on - it is so easy to lose lots of time in the lock systems. Remember lock keepers stop for breaks and most important, they all stay in touch with eachother so the following lock keeper will know what time to expect you at. If you arrive early you've obviously been speeding!

HTH

Allen

[Brian]

Allen
That is most excellent info.
Thank you very much for that.