Our Day

Today is a bit more touristy. We look at the southern end of the Caledonian Canal, with its interesting locks and bridges and do some level walking along the said canal. Then, after some refreshment in Spean Bridge, where we see some interesting motor-bikers and their eye-catching mechanical steeds (all for a cancer charity), we drive off to view the ancient "Parallel Roads".

The Great Glen - Caledonian Canal

Millions of years ago, the top Scotland slid south eastwards with respect to the lower part of Scotland. Hence the Great Glen between Fort William and Inverness is a reasonably straight diagonal line. The geographical givens are ideal for a canal between both places. What was needed was some human assistance to join the lochs, including the loch that is the favourite haunt of Nessie, the monster we all have grown to love, including the pranksters (fake photos of Nessie with the raised arches).

We saw the series of eight locks that start - as you might expext - by the (also interesting) railway swing bridge at Banavie, and that are picturesquely called "Neptune's Staircase". We then did a short walk of a few (six or so) miles to enable us to appreciate the amazing raised earthworks that take the canal high above house and habitation level for several miles - let Dutchmen delight! An old swing bridge providing farm access across the canal caused me some puzzlement, which persisted, despite the perusal of a so called explanatory tourist poster.

Neptune's Staircase, all 8 locks of it, starts near the interesting railway swing bridge in Banavie. This is probably the third lock, with a colourful barge for tourist excursions. It is well nigh impossible to get a picture that brings out the "staircase" nature of Neptune's aquatic construction. Jim explained that water in the Caledonian Canal makes its way to sea level at Fort William and Inverness, from some "summit" between them. Neptune's artifact is part of this story.




You can actually step ON TO the lock gates in reasonable safety, in order to get more of a "boatsman's" view. The smaller - but probably faster - boat is conveniently tied to its larger companion for the passage through the locks.




We have covered a few scenic miles, and still the raised (with respect to the surrounding land) canal embankment keeps us company to our right. What a lot of work for the (Irish?) navvies!




This hand operated swing bridge was built to provide access for the farmer to his fields at Moy Farm. It is the only surviving original bridge over the canal. There wasn't any information about WHEN it was actually built, but the poster implies that it was certainly pre-1837, which was an important year for Queen Victoria.




The keeper half opens the bridge in anticipation of the arrival of one of the boats we saw earlier at Neptune's staircase.




Now the keeper has opened the other half. I couldn't work it out, but there must be some lateral play of at least one of the two halves at right angles to the canal. Why? Because when the bridge is closed, the two halves abut over the canal (obviously more or less in the middle of the canal) in a STRAIGHT line.

Parallel Roads

We subsequently take to our cars and pass the stunningly postioned military memorial in Spean Bridge ... and so to the pub stop with the interesting motor bikers and their mechanical steeds.

And then it's on to the parallel roads which are long shelves in the hillsides - shelves that apparently resulted from the gradual receding (drying up?) of the primaeval lakes. So far so good, but why should the formations beneath the water at the edges of the original lakes all have had very similar slopes into the lakes so as to ensure that the parallel roads all had very similar widths with respect to their individual extents and with respect to each other? It seems like coincidence to me - but perhaps that is the curious thing!

The parallel roads are more easily descerned in the 12MP versions of these pictures.




Here is a picture of Your's Truely. The Highland Fling Experience has not really matured and/or weathered me to the extent that this picture might suggest - honest!




There is a general milling around and taking of piccies ...




... before we head back to base - the Calluna that is.

Our Evening