This stage of our journey felt like a true transition—from the wild, salt-sprayed Atlantic to the calm, freshwater mysteries of the Highlands. Joined by our long-time friends Even and Eva (S/V 3T from our circumnavigation 20 years ago) we set out to experience two iconic Scottish landmarks the Caledonian Canal and hiking Ben Nevis.
Before entering the canal, we took a “scenic detour” north. In Tobermory, we stumbled upon a church-turned-bar that provided one of our favorite memories of the trip: a room full of Scots in cowboy hats singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at the top of their lungs.
We visited the Isle of Lunga, where we got up close with the local puffin colonies and then moved through the tricky entrance of Loch Moidart to anchor beneath the ruins of Castle Tioram.
Once we reached Fort William, Eva and I decided to test our sea legs on the UK’s highest peak and spent a magnificent, rain-free day hiking Ben Nevis. Meanwhile, Anthony and Evan stayed on Moxie to prep for the locks, installing “fender boards” to protect our hulls from the rough, mucky walls of the canal. Crossing Scotland via the Caledonian Canal was a 60-mile “shortcut’ through Scotland (from the Irish Sea to the North Sea) consisting of 29 locks, 11 bridges, and 106 feet of elevation gain.
At Fort Augustus we began the “down-locking” part toward the east. Moxie felt like she was in a parade. A performance catamaran is a rare sight in the Highlands, and we had quite the audience of gawking tourists as we descended the 5-lock staircase in the middle of town.
Entering the infamous Loch Ness, the weather finally began to dry out. While we didn’t spot Nessie, the views of Urquhart Castle perched on the steep banks were spectacular.
We cleared the final locks and arrived at Seaport Marina in Inverness. After weeks in small villages, the city felt like a metropolis! We took the time to visit Culloden Battlefield – a sobering place that reshaped Scottish history (made famous by the Outlander series). Our next stope would be Norway, so we had lots to do to get ready – prepare meals for the passage and obsessively check the North Sea weather conditions.
Next Stop: The Land of the Midnight Sun!