Inverness, Clachnaharry, Caledonian Canal, Clachnaharry Sea Lock View from the east showing the top lock gates of the Sea Lock. The lock keepers' houses are visible beyond Digital image of D 64144 CN

Description Inverness, Clachnaharry, Caledonian Canal, Clachnaharry Sea Lock View from the east showing the top lock gates of the Sea Lock. The lock keepers' houses are visible beyond Digital image of D 64144 CN

Date 30/3/1999

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

Catalogue Number SC 799638

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 64144 CN

Scope and Content Lock gates, Clachnaharry Sea Lock, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Highland, from east This shows the entrance to the sea lock, built between 1810 and 1811, from the adjoining basin. The two lock gates are surmounted by a railed walkway and are similar in design to the lock gates at the other end of the lock. A mooring post with a white-painted top is in the foreground and the two-storeyed lock-keeper's cottage is in the background. The original lock gates were constructed with Welsh oak because it was more resistant to salt water. These gates lasted for around 80 years but were replaced by new gates built from oak and steel between 1890 and 1906. The lock gates were fully mechanised by the mid-20th century. 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/799638

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap