CALEDONIA DREAMING

Phil Dargavel and his wife Julie enjoy the unique freedom of a trailerable boat by taking their BRIG Navigator RIB from Christchurch to Scotland to explore the stunning vistas of the Caledonian Canal

- Phil Dargavel

There are fabulous waters to cruise down here in Christchurch, Dorset, but every now and then we get itchy feet and having our BRIG Navigator 610 on a road trailer gives us the flexibility to go, well, just about anywhere. We've towed Hurricane to Cornwall and Wales but never ventured further north with her. The west coast of Scotland was the obvious choice but we fancied something different and decided on Loch Linnhe and the Caledonian Canal. It ticked a lot of boxes for us with gentle cruising along quiet stretches of canal interspersed with howling across a few lochs at speed and lots of fascinating places to visit along the way.

The first question was when to go. Aware that the infamous Scottish midges come into full force around June, we decided on early May and lit a few candles to the weather gods in the hopes they would look kindly on us. With no sleeping accommodation on board we also needed to book places to stay. With the help of a Nicholson's canal guide and Google Maps I soon managed to put together a suitable schedule.

We'd start by entering the sea lock at Corpach, then ascend Neptune's Staircase and travel the canal and Loch Lochy to Loch Goil, stopping at Glengarry Castle Hotel. Then on to Fort August for two nights, giving us a day on Loch Ness before retracing our steps to Glengarry Castle and finally, Moorings Hotel at Banavie.

NEPTUNE'S STAIRCASE

When the time came, we towed