CALEDONIAN CANAL, a chain of natural lakes united by artificial canals, running across the n. of Scotland in a straight line front n.e. to s.w., from the North sea to the Atlantic, through Glenmore, or the Great Glen of Albin, in Inverness-shire, and touching Argyleshire at the s. end. The sea and fresh water lochs in this line are Beauly, Ness, Oich, Loehy, Eil, and Linnhe. The canal was formed to avoid the dan gerous and tedious navigation of ships, especially coasting vessels, round by the Pent land firth, cape Wrath, and the Hebrides; the distance between Kinnaird's head and the sound of Mull by this route being 500 m., but by the canal only 250, with an average saving of 91 days for sailing vessels. The C. C. begins in the Beauly firth, near Inver ness, whence a cut of 7 in. joins loch Ness, which is 24 by 11 mile. A cut of 6 in. joins loch Ness and loch ouch, which is 31 by mile. Another cut of 2 m. joins loch Oich and loch Lochy, which is 10 by 1 m.; and a fourth cut of 8 m. joins loch Eil at the village of Corp:tell; 2 in, n. of fort William. This ship-communication is 601 m. long, m. being through natural lochs or lakes, and 23 m. by artificial cuts. Each cut is 120 ft, broad at surface, and 50 at bottom, and 17 deep. The highest part is loch Oich, which is 94 ft. above the sea. There are in all 28 lochs, each 170 to 180 ft. long, and 40 wide, with a rise or lift of water of 8 feet. Eight of the locks, called Neptune's stair case, occur in succession near the w. end of the canal. Some large mountain streams between lochs Eil and Lochy are conducted in huge culverts under the canal; and by a new cut, the Lochy water is turned into the Spean. The practicability of this great work
was first shown by a survey under government in 1773 by the celebrated James Watt; but it was not till 1803 that it was begun under Mr. Telford. The whole line was opened for ships in 1823. After three years of repair, it was reopened in 1847. Ships of 500 to 600 tons, fully laden, can pass through the canal. The canal and tonnage rates for sailing vessels are each a farthing per mile per ton, and a half of this for vessels under 125 tons. Steamers pay 2s. a ton. Of £1,368,203 expended on this canal, from 1803 to 1856, £1,242,387 were voted by parliament, and £90,748 were from canal dues. Heavy gales and rains in Dec., 1848, and Jan., 1849, did much damage to the canal, which was repaired by a government grant of £10,000. For the year ending April, 1876, the total income of the canal was £6741, whereas the expenditure amounted to £9307—a state of accounts by no means exceptional. There is regular steam commu nication by the canal between Glasgow and Inverness. The scenery is wild and roman tic on both sides of the canal, and has many other objects of interest to the tourist, such as fort William, Ben Nevis, Inverlochy castle, TOr castle, the ancient seat of Cameron of Locheil, Glen Spean, Glen Roy, with its parallel roads, fort Augustus, the fall of Foyers, and Inverness.