Inverness, Clachnaharry, Caledonian Canal, Clachnaharry Lock View from the south-south-east showing Clachnaharry Lock in operation, with the lock gates partially opened. The hand crane is clearly vis ...

Description Inverness, Clachnaharry, Caledonian Canal, Clachnaharry Lock View from the south-south-east showing Clachnaharry Lock in operation, with the lock gates partially opened. The hand crane is clearly visible on the right

Date 30/3/1999

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number D 64134 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 799626

Scope and Content Clachnaharry Lock, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Highland, from south-south-east This shows a boat in the lock, built around 1807 by John Simpson and John Cargill, with workshops in the background. The pair of lock gates (centre) are opening which means that the water in the lock is at the same level as Muirtown Basin and the boat can proceed into the basin. On the right there is a hand crane which was probably used in conjunction with an adjacent sawmill which has been demolished. The original lock gates for the sea lock to the west were constructed with salt-water-resistant Welsh oak and it seems likely that this timber was used for the original lock gates here. Between 1890 and 1906 the lock gates were replaced by oak and steel ones. By the mid-20th century the lock gates were fully mechanised. 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.

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