Loch Ness and Fort Augustus

Phil McConnell Traditional Highland Bagpiper for hire

The village takes its name from a fort built after the defeat of the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Today, almost nothing remains of the original structure – although some parts were incorporated into the Benedictine Abbey, which dates back to 1876.

Much more apparent is the Caledonian Canal, which effectively cuts the village in two. To the north, the canal joins Loch Ness and an impressive flight of locks that cleverly assist the water traffic from one vertical level to another.

Originally designed by the famous civil engineer Thomas Telford and opened in 1822, the lock system is part of the 60-mile Caledonian Canal that links Inverness to Fort William. The canal was originally built to provide a short cut for merchant skippers between the east and west coasts of Scotland, who welcomed the chance to cut down their journey times and avoid unwelcome approaches from French pirates on the open sea. Today, the canal is still in use – and Fort William is an ideal spot to watch the yachts and cruisers drift by.
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