A River Really Does Run Through It

You can sail right through the heart of Highlands on a boat. The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast with the west coast. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century as a way to provide jobs for the displaced highlanders. The canal runs about 60 miles from Inverness to Fort William.

Only one third of the entire length is man-made, the rest is formed by a series of 29 natural lochs, four aqueducts and 10 draw bridges. Serval of which I stopped for while on my way from Inverness down to Oban.

The concept is simple, trap the boat and water into a chamber, then open one the doors on one end to let the water flow in. This process is repeated in a series to raise the boat up to the level of the next loch. Then the boat is free to sail until it reaches the next set of risers.

You can charter a boat or take a six day cruise on one of these fancy hotel barges.