Fort Augustus to Corpach

Having failed to make as much progress as we expected yesterday, we had a few locks ahead of us if we were to reach Corpach for the evening and stop in the basin just above the sea water lock. So, another 7am alarm and we headed off, following some keen yachts, just before 8am towards the next lock ready for it to open. Things worked out really well. The little flotilla we were travelling with were lucky and the gates opened pretty much as we approached each lock. Amazing organisation via radio between the bridge and lock operators. So, it was a quick trip, sadly in the rain to start with.

In Kytra lock, the crew was given a gold star by Linda the lady lock keeper for wearing her lifejacket:

A close up in case you are not convinced:

Apparently it is her first gold star since she was 11. It would be inappropriate to comment on how many years ago that was.

Guess what, the rain stopped and we were able to migrate to the flybridge for the Loch crossings (Oich and Lochy). A bonus that was most unexpected initially was the lack of wind, hence ripples, giving great reflections again on Loch Oich:

There was a big debate about people's ability to "imagine" or see shapes in the mountainsides. Two of us got this the same way, two struggled. How about you?

We had a brief wait, holding off the locks at Banavie but then descended Neptune's staircase pretty quickly and in glorious sun with plenty of onlookers to chat to and the Mallaig - Fort William steam train passing. Andrew took this whilst walking the boat between locks (OK, he wasn't pulling 40 tons, we did use the engine to help) and at great personal danger of falling in so you really should appreciate the risk if not the artistic merit of the photo:

Arriving at Corpach after 13 locks we were glad to moor in the basin ready to depart for sea again tomorrow.  Here is the sea lock from the flybridge:

And the view the other way, with Ben Nevis in the background (for the non UK folks, that is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Of course, if the SNP get their way it will become the highest mountain in Scotland only)

Stephen (the trolley shopper and shooting expert) and Alison's friends David and Janet arrived to have a look at the boat. David has a serious engineering background and so we got some good tips from him! Then it was dinner and chill time, enjoying the first data connection that our hopeless O2 SIM card had since we entered the canal. Andrew's EE card worked pretty much everywhere...

The cloud broke totally and the evening views across to Fort William and the mountains were spectacular:

Not a bad spot to end our canal trip really.....