Aerial photograph showing Gairlochy East and West Locks, Caledonian Canal

Description Aerial photograph showing Gairlochy East and West Locks, Caledonian Canal

Date 1985

Collection RCAHMS Aerial Photography

Catalogue Number SC 1676124

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of A 36772

Scope and Content Aerial view, Gairlochy Regulating Lock, Caledonian Canal, Highland, from north-north-east This shows the basin between the regulating lock (bottom), completed 1813, and the west lock (top) which was built in 1844. Canal workers probably occupied the small single-storeyed cottage facing the basin whilst the lock-keeper occupied the two-storeyed building with the hipped roof to the left. The pier-shaped structure beside this lock supports the swing bridge when it has been moved into an open position to allow boats into or out of the basin. There has always been a risk of flooding at this point due to the volume of water in Loch Lochy and the close proximity of the River Lochy (top left). The regulating lock was not strong enough to withstand the water's pressure and had to be partially rebuilt in 1826 and 1843. This led to the new lock being constructed to the west. The Caledonian Canal was designed by Thomas Telford (1757-1834) and built between 1803 and 1822 at a cost of £840,000. It was the first example of a transport network funded by the government in Great Britain. The 96.5km-long canal provides a route for boats travelling between the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean as it runs from the Beauly Firth at Clachnaharry, Inverness, to Loch Linnhe at Corpach. Only 35.4km of this length is man-made while the other 61km runs through four lochs: Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. Unfortunately, at 4.2m deep, the canal was too small for most sea-going ships which led to it being altered and deepened between 1844 and 1847. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1676124

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap