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Caledonian Canal, Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus is a section of the early nineteenth-century canal that links the Great Glen lochs of the Scottish Highlands. This engineering achievement was designed to provide a sheltered sea route for vessels and to develop the local economy of the region. The canal section runs through Inverness-shire beneath the underlying bedrock of felsic-rock igneous intrusion of Neoproterozoic age, ancient geology that has shaped the landscape's dramatic topography.
The canal incorporates Kyltra Lock as a key structural element, managing water levels as the waterway progresses toward Fort Augustus. This section represents a significant feat of hydraulic engineering, employing a series of locks to negotiate the challenging terrain of the Great Glen. The surrounding landscape, carved from hard igneous bedrock formed over 600 million years ago, presented substantial engineering challenges that were overcome through systematic lock construction and channel excavation.
Today, the canal remains an important navigational route and a recognised monument reflecting the ambitions of early industrial Scotland. The section is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM6497, recognising its significance in the development of Highland infrastructure and transport. The canal continues to serve recreational and maritime users, linking the lochs of one of Scotland's most dramatic geological settings.
Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6497. View the official record →
Caledonian Canal, Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus is a section of the early nineteenth-century canal that links the Great Glen lochs of the Scottish Highlands. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6497.
Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a kyltra lock to fort augustus. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM6497.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock (1.5 km), Torr Dhuin,fort,Fort Augustus (1.8 km), Kilwhimen Barracks, Fort Augustus (1.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Caledonian Canal,Kyltra Lock to Fort Augustus stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Neoproterozoic, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is felsic-rock.