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Caledonian Canal, Moy Bridge to Gairlochy is a section of the great waterway engineered to connect the Atlantic and North Seas through Scotland's Great Glen. This stretch traverses some 9 miles of central Inverness-shire, following the natural corridor that runs from Fort William to Inverness. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century to provide a safe passage for vessels avoiding the treacherous waters around Cape Wrath and to support Highland commerce and defence.
The route lies upon deeply fractured bedrock, the mylonitic rocks and fault-breccias of the Great Glen Fault Zone. This fundamental geological weakness, which defines the entire Glen, was itself exploited during construction. The engineer Thomas Telford designed the canal to use natural lochs—Loch Lochy and Loch Ness—as much as possible, connecting them through excavated channels and a series of locks that manage the dramatic changes in water level across the landscape.
The section from Moy Bridge to Gairlochy encompasses both man-made canal and natural loch, featuring masonry locks and aqueducts of considerable engineering achievement. The work remains an outstanding example of early nineteenth-century civil engineering in a wild Highland landscape. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM6493, reflecting its national significance.
Caledonian Canal,Moy Bridge to Gairlochy is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6493. View the official record →
Caledonian Canal, Moy Bridge to Gairlochy is a section of the great waterway engineered to connect the Atlantic and North Seas through Scotland's Great Glen. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6493.
Caledonian Canal,Moy Bridge to Gairlochy 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 SM6493.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caledonian Canal,Moy Swing Bridge (1 km), Caledonian Canal, Gairlochy Locks, lighthouse and signal lamp (1.4 km), Caledonian Canal,Banavie to Moy Bridge (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Caledonian Canal,Moy Bridge to Gairlochy'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,Moy Bridge to Gairlochy stands on Fault Zone Rocks, Unassigned, bedrock that formed in the Age unknown. The rock here is mylonitic-rock and fault-breccia.