Tour Scotland Photograph Barge Caledonian Canal


Tour Scotland photograph of a barge being towed through the Locks on the Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus, Scotland. In 1843 part of Corpach double lock collapsed. This led to a decision to close the canal to allow repairs to be carried out, and the depth was increased to 18 feet at the same time. The work was designed by an associate of Telford, James Walker, and completed by 1847, but not all of the traffic expected to use the canal did so. Commercially, the venture was not a success, but the dramatic scenery through which it passes led to it becoming a tourist attraction. Queen Victoria took a trip along it in 1873, and the publicity surrounding the trip resulted in a large increase in visitors to the region and the canal. The arrival of the railways at Fort William, Fort Augustus and Inverness did little to harm the canal, as trains were scheduled to connect with steamboat services.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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