Neptune’s Staircase

SAILING from Fort William to Inverness is one of the most picturesque voyages a sailor can make.

However, before doing so, you have to negotiate one of Scotland’s engineering marvels – Neptune’s Staircase.

Built by Thomas Telford between 1802 and 1822, it’s 55m (180ft) in length, 12m (40ft) wide and consists of eight locks.

It takes approximately 90 minutes to pass through the system, rising or falling 20m (64ft) in the process.

The Staircase is the most southern part of the Caledonian Canal, one-third of which is man-made. The rest is made up of Lochs Dochfour, Ness, Oich and Lochy.

The canal was completed in 1847 at a cost of £136,089 and although not popular at first, a trip along it by Queen Victoria in 1873 resulted in substantially increased interest.

Nowadays, it is popular with yachts, pleasure boats and cruisers – in addition to walkers, as the 127km (79-mile) Great Glen Way traces its length from start to finish. 