The canal itself is remarkable in its own right and, once you have disembarked, we recommend that you walk up the flight of locks to get a feel for this wonder of pre-Victorian construction which was built during the reigns of George III and George IV.
It was built between 1803 and 1822, is 60 miles (95km) long, rises to 150 feet above sea level (45m) and comprises 39 locks, 10 bridges and 4 aqueducts. The construction engineer was Thomas Telford. Of the length of the canal, almost two thirds are made up of the natural Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy.
It was constructed to provide a safe passage through Scotland to save ships from travelling the more treacherous route around the north of Scotland which was susceptible to storms and French privateers.
Shortly after opening, the construction of larger steam ships meant that its usefulness was restricted and it might have been forced to close. It survived that and many other attempts to close it, the last of which was in the 1990s and today it is a subsidised protected monument.
Commercial vessels do use the canal but it is now primarily used by tourist vessels such as ours and many cabin cruisers and barges.
There is a Canal Museum on the right hand side of the staircase of locks if you would like more information.
Our cruise today is now complete and we will shortly be manoeuvring to our berth so please remain seated until instructed by the crew.
We hope you have found the cruise to be an enjoyable and educational experience and would appreciate you recommending the Royal Scot to people you meet during and after your vacation.