Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in at the low canoe pontoon below Gairlochy bottom lock, where the Caledonian Canal leaves Loch Lochy, and paddle south-west along a lock-free stretch of Thomas Telford's canal. It runs on an embankment above the River Lochy, with forest on the far side and the Nevis range filling the view ahead. Halfway, Moy Bridge is one of the last swing bridges on the canal still worked by hand; if you cannot pass beneath it, lift out on the towpath. The line ends at the pontoon above Neptune's Staircase at Banavie, the flight of eight locks that drops towards the sea at Corpach.
It is 9.5 km one way; allow about 2 hours in a canoe or kayak and 2¾ on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy: flat water and no locks, but a little long for a first outing, and a south-westerly blows straight up the glen into your face.
No licence is needed in Scotland, but Scottish Canals ask every paddler to register their trip with them in advance; it is free. Cruisers and yachts use the canal from spring to autumn, so keep to the right. Banavie station is about 600 m from the take-out, and there is a car park near the staircase. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- A lock-free stretch of Thomas Telford's canal, finished in 1822
- Views of Ben Nevis ahead for much of the way
- Low canoe pontoons at both ends
- Moy Bridge on the way is a hand-worked swing bridge, one of the last on the canal
On the water
- Put in: Canoe launch 56.91207, -4.99996
- Take out: Canoe launch 56.84872, -5.09039
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- Rules and licences: Scottish Canals. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Gairlochy, below the bottom lock. 56.91207, -4.99996
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Gairlochy: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.