Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nacarry; adult/child £3.50/free; 11am-5pm Jul & Aug, 1.30-5pm Easter-Jun &
Sep-mid-Oct)
, which records the history of the clan and its involvement with the Jacobite
rebellions, including items of clothing that once belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
From Achnacarry the
Great Glen Way
continues along the roadless western shore of
Loch Lochy, and a dead-end minor road leads west along remote but lovely
Loch Arkaig
.
There are a couple of backpacker hostels in Corpach. At
Farr Cottage Lodge
(
01397-772315;
www.farrcottage.com
;
Corpach; dm/tw £15/36; )
bike hire is also
available, while the folk at
Blacksmiths Backpackers Hostel
(
01397-772467;
www.highland-mountain-guides.co.uk
;
Corpach; dm £16.50; )
can organise courses in
climbing, kayaking and other sports.
THE CALEDONIAN CANAL
Running for 59 miles from Corpach, near Fort William, to Inverness via lochs Lochy, Oich and Ness, the Caledo-
nian Canal links the east and west coasts of Scotland, avoiding the long and dangerous sea passage around Cape
Wrath and through the turbulent Pentland Firth. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1822 at a cost of
£900,000 - a staggering sum then - the canal took 20 years to build, including 29 locks, four aqueducts and 10
bridges.
Conceived as a project to ease unemployment and bring prosperity to the Highlands in the aftermath of the Ja-
cobite rebellions and the Clearances, the canal proved to be a commercial failure - the locks were too small for
the new breed of steamships which came into use soon after its completion. But it proved to be a success in terms
of tourism, especially after it was popularised by Queen Victoria's cruise along the canal in 1873. Today the canal
is used mainly by yachts and pleasure cruisers, though in late 2010 a pilot scheme was introduced to assess the vi-
ability of using it to transport timber from local forestry plantations.
Much of the Great Glen Way (
Click here
)
follows the line of the canal; it can be followed on foot, by moun-
tain bike or on horseback, and 80% of the route has even been done on mobility scooters. An easy half-day hike
or bike ride is to follow the canal towpath from Corpach to Gairlochy (10 miles), which takes you past the im-
pressive flight of eight locks known as
Neptune's Staircase
, and through beautiful countryside with grand views
to the north face of Ben Nevis.
GLEN SPEAN & GLEN ROY
Near Spean Bridge, at the junction of the B8004 and A82, 2.5 miles east of Gairlochy,
stands the
Commando Memorial
, which commemorates the WWII special forces sol-
diers who trained in this area.
Four miles further east, at Roy Bridge, a minor road leads north up
Glen Roy
, which is
noted for its intriguing, so-called
parallel roads
. These prominent horizontal terraces con-
touring around the hillside are actually ancient shorelines formed during the last ice age
