Cruising Area

Cruising Area - cc scot map
The Caledonian Canal – the perfect boating holiday in Scotland

Our base is ideally located in the city of Inverness, near the north east entrance of the Caledonian Canal. We are just 5 minutes from Inverness city centre and 25 minutes from Inverness Airport. Our boat yard is both the pick up and return point (note: we are unfortunately not able to offer one way cruises). The turning point of your cruise is Banavie, which is just a few miles from the Lochaber town of Fort William. From here you will be able to enjoy stunning views of Ben Nevis and the see the famous Neptune’s Staircase. Banavie sits in the region known as UK’s Outdoor Capital due to the great range of activities and outdoor pursuit’s available here.

To view Caley Cruisers own Navigation Chart, which shows all the mooring places for hire crafts and the approximate times it takes to sail between each Loch and section of canal, click on the following link: Caley Cruisers Navigational Chart (PDF)

The canal system is about 60 miles in length and it takes around 3 days to cruise from one end to the other, it is therefore the ideal place to spend a week cruising. 22 miles of the waterway are man-made and the remaining 38 miles are made up of Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. There are 12 locks and 6 bridges along the cruising route, all of which are manned by bridge and lock keepers.

Map of boat holiday destinations on the Caledonian Canal
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How many nights will I need?

3 Nights

For a 3 night cruise, the normal limit of cruising would be Fort Augustus prior to heading back to Inverness.

4 Nights

In a 4 night cruise you would normally be able to reach Loch Oich.

7 Nights

If you intend to cruise the full return trip from Inverness to Banavie and back, you will need at least a 7 night cruise to achieve this.

10, 11, 14 Nights

We are also pleased to offer 10, 11 & 14 night holiday options. Click here to find out more about where you can go and what you can see in a typical cruise.

Please bear in mind, though, that you should always apply some flexibility to your schedule when travelling on a waterway with locks, bridges and spaces of open water. The above mentioned timings are an indication only and are realistic, provided all goes as planned. The weather is also a factor that can have an impact on progress with the journey.

If you have any queries about what a suitable hire period is, please get in touch, we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.

The Caledonian Canal was engineered by the famous Scotsman, Thomas Telford, and completed in 1822 after 19 years of work. It was built at the time of the ‘Highland Clearances’ to create employment.

You can find further details of the attractions and activities, including places to eat, at each of the mooring places in the subcategories of this page, click on the red dots on the map or lochs.

In the December 2015 issue of the online magazine Motorboat Owner was a 12-page editorial article (PDF file) published about a weekly cruise on the canal on our Balmoral class.

This is the perfect place for a peaceful holiday, well away from the pressures of modern living. There are activities to do along the way, beautiful walks, as well as castles and distilleries to visit. You have a choice of dozens of picturesque spots to moor for the night, to go ashore for a drink and meet with friendly locals or eat aboard to the soothing sounds of lapping water.

You can view the clips of the cruising route with the following links:

Caley Cruisers have been offering boating holidays on Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal since 1970 and we celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2020! Weekly or short break charter is available from April to October inclusive. No previous boating experience necessary as full training given. Cruising 60 miles of Europes most beautiful inland waterways will be one of the most memorable experiences you will ever have. So if you are looking for the perfect boating holiday in Scotland, or Caledonian Canal boat hire look no further.