We traversed the descent through the flight of locks at Fort Augustus in tandem with Charlie, a nice sailor who was transporting a classic ketch across Scotland, aided by Zak, a young South African from Bloemfontein who was taking a year in the uk on contract to a rugby club. We 'buddied' up and moved the boats down together on the ropes in bright sunshine and watched by the crowds who flock round the locks for the free entertainment. We then met up (as arranged)...

A short day today, from Laggan double lock via Ardrishaig locks and to a pontoon at Invergary Castle and the summit of the Canal for a lunch stop. We were at the head of the long flight of locks down into the busy little village pf Fort Augustus by 1500, and stopped there for the night. We found there was live music at one of the pubs - the Bothy - and went there in the evening, but it was a pretty awful male singer/guitarist, whom we were to meet again later in...

We left in company with our Dutch friends on the first lock opening and ascended the long flight of locks known as Neptune's Staircase. The locks are controlled by the lock-keepers, but the movement of the boats is all done by manpower, towing up the towpath from lock to lock, buddied together, while the 'passengers' aboard provide tea and cakes for the 'horses'! The whole flight took about two hours, then we separated and stopped at Gairlochy for lunch and a su...

After seeing David and Mark off in Oban, now we were two!. We left Kerrera for the last time after lunch in strong and gusty winds and a rough quartering sea. With Cath on the helm we motored up the Firth of Lorne, through the Sound of Shuna, and into Loch Linnhe. The Corran Narrows made an interesting passage, the current taking us through at 7.5k, narrowly(!) avoiding the ferry! We called up the entry lock for the Caledonian Canal at Corpach, and were told to w...

Left Port Ellen at 0650 in an increasing westerly wind, gusting to 30k by the time we were in the Sound of Jura. By 0900 we were making 7.2k under sail with 2 reefs in the main and 1/3 of the Genoa!, and by the time we oicked up the east-going tide we were making 9.0k over the ground! We progressed up the Sounds of Luing and Insh, by which time the sea had built to a rough state, but we made the passage of 60NM in 10 hours dead, and were happily berthed on the h...