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Navigating Highland glens, | 0:00:10 | 0:00:12 | |
rolling countryside, river valleys, | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
and city sprawl. | 0:00:15 | 0:00:17 | |
Britain's canals cut a sedate path through some of the country's finest scenery. | 0:00:17 | 0:00:22 | |
Canals were the transport arteries at the heart of a booming industrial age. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:28 | |
A network of locks, tunnels and aqueducts | 0:00:28 | 0:00:31 | |
helped carry goods to every corner of the land and beyond. | 0:00:31 | 0:00:36 | |
Transforming 19th century Britain into an economic superpower. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:40 | |
Today, over 2,000 miles of restored canals | 0:00:43 | 0:00:46 | |
offer a gateway into a different world. | 0:00:46 | 0:00:49 | |
For me and many others, | 0:00:50 | 0:00:52 | |
the towpaths alongside them offer the perfect way to explore this heritage on foot. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:58 | |
Hello, welcome to the Scottish Highlands, | 0:01:13 | 0:01:15 | |
and look at that for a bonnie view. | 0:01:15 | 0:01:17 | |
What a way to start a walk. | 0:01:17 | 0:01:18 | |
This is the West Coast of Scotland where the mountains meet the sea. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:23 | |
I'm here to discover how Thomas Telford | 0:01:30 | 0:01:32 | |
created a coast-to-coast canal transforming these remote Highlands by linking east to west. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:39 | |
Scottish-born Telford was one of the great engineers of his day. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:45 | |
On the outskirts of Fort William is his most ambitious project, | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
the Caledonian Canal. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
At the turn of the 19th century, | 0:01:52 | 0:01:54 | |
he realised there was a way through the heart of this remote and inhospitable region. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:58 | |
By following the Great Glen, one of Scotland's most dramatic natural features, | 0:02:00 | 0:02:04 | |
he saw that he could join it's freshwater lochs with sections of man-made canal. | 0:02:04 | 0:02:09 | |
But there had never been a canal route on this scale before. | 0:02:09 | 0:02:13 | |
Telford truly had his work cut out if he was to conquer the Highlands. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:17 | |
This is more than a simple story of canal building. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:25 | |
It's a tale of fame, fortune and, ultimately, folly. | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
This wasn't just a navigational short cut. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
By the 1800s, canal mania was well underway | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
in the industrial heartlands of England. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
But it wasn't until 1801 | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
that Telford started to survey a new route | 0:02:48 | 0:02:50 | |
that would change the face of Scotland. | 0:02:50 | 0:02:54 | |
He saw that the four main locks at the Great Glen, | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
including Loch Ness, the biggest and the deepest in the UK, | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
lay in near perfect alignment. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:03 | |
Building an additional 22 miles of man-made canal would link them | 0:03:05 | 0:03:09 | |
and create a cross-country route between Fort William and Inverness. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:13 | |
My walk follows the first eight miles of this 60-mile route. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:19 | |
I'll be starting from the sea at Corpach | 0:03:19 | 0:03:22 | |
and undoing of the shores of the first freshwater loch at Gairlochy. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:26 | |
This is Corpach sea lock, | 0:03:28 | 0:03:30 | |
the start or end point of a journey along the Caledonian Canal. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:34 | |
Clearly, this is not your average canal | 0:03:35 | 0:03:38 | |
and that is not your average narrowboat. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
Telford's plan to join two sides of the country via a waterway was definitely bold. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:47 | |
At the time, there was nothing on its scale anywhere else in the UK. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:51 | |
He pledged the canal would bring prosperity and employment to the impoverished Highlands | 0:03:53 | 0:03:57 | |
and help fishing boats shortcut the treacherous route around the top of Scotland. | 0:03:57 | 0:04:02 | |
The race was on to expand Britain's transport network | 0:04:02 | 0:04:06 | |
and private speculators rushed forward to fund new schemes. | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
But this route was different. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:12 | |
For the first time ever, the government would provide the money. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:16 | |
If successful, it would be a triumph of its age | 0:04:17 | 0:04:20 | |
creating badly-needed jobs and bringing wealth to the Highlands. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:25 | |
-So, what are you doing here? -I'm the chief officer on the vessel. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:37 | |
It's quite a big vessel to have on a lock. | 0:04:37 | 0:04:40 | |
Yeah, it's the largest that will fit into the lock, just about. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:44 | |
-Definitely bigger than your average barge or narrowboat. -Definitely. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:48 | |
Some of these smaller locks, | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
-it sounds very tight when you go in. -I bet. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:54 | |
You've got measurements being given to the bridge of one or two feet on either end. | 0:04:54 | 0:04:58 | |
And there's about 18 inches on either side in the smallest ones. | 0:04:58 | 0:05:03 | |
-So a real skill? -Yes. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:05 | |
-What do you think of Thomas Telford? -I think he's a brilliant engineer. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
His only problem seemed to be that a lot of the locks he built on bends | 0:05:08 | 0:05:12 | |
-which makes it difficult for a vessel of this size to get through. -Yep. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:16 | |
'A cruise boat certainly isn't what I expect to see on a canal lock.' | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
And as this is the beginning of my walk, | 0:05:25 | 0:05:27 | |
what can I expect see along the canal? | 0:05:27 | 0:05:29 | |
-Rain. -Yes, I'm used to that, that's fine! | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
Lots of rain, some nice wildlife, | 0:05:32 | 0:05:35 | |
and, hopefully, at this time of year, maybe not as many of the tourists, | 0:05:35 | 0:05:40 | |
but I think you'll find quite a number of people going along. | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
Lovely, looking forward to it. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:45 | |
Well, better leave you to it. Don't want anything to go wrong. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
-It's all right, they'll wait for me to get back on board. -Good! | 0:05:48 | 0:05:53 | |
This impressive cruise boat, which is going in the opposite direction to me, | 0:06:00 | 0:06:05 | |
has already carried 54 passengers 60 miles along the entire length of the canal, | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
from Inverness to here at Corpach. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:11 | |
It's now setting off for the open sea and the inner Hebrides. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:16 | |
What a trip. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:18 | |
Well, that got things off with a bang, didn't it? | 0:06:23 | 0:06:26 | |
Telford spent two years surveying the options for this route | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
and returned a compelling report to the government. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
He believed the region was in crisis. | 0:06:37 | 0:06:40 | |
The devastating Highland clearances had shattered traditional clan life. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:45 | |
At this time, people were being evicted from their homes | 0:06:45 | 0:06:48 | |
and forced off their land to make way for sheep farming. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
Dispossessed and disillusioned, | 0:06:53 | 0:06:55 | |
they were leaving Scotland emigrating to the New World and the promise of a better life. | 0:06:55 | 0:07:00 | |
Telford believed the canal could give his fellow-countrymen a reason to stay. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:06 | |
He wrote, "A canal would not only create much-needed employment, | 0:07:09 | 0:07:13 | |
"it would also be hugely beneficial to the fishing industry | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
"providing jobs way beyond the canal's completion." | 0:07:16 | 0:07:21 | |
This was going to be a truly massive canal on an unprecedented scale | 0:07:22 | 0:07:26 | |
making it capable of carrying ocean-going boats. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:30 | |
They're proper seafaring tugboats, aren't they? | 0:07:32 | 0:07:36 | |
He planned a route that sliced through the dramatic faultline of the Great Glen, | 0:07:36 | 0:07:41 | |
20 ft deep, 30 ft wide with a total of 28 gargantuan locks. | 0:07:41 | 0:07:46 | |
This is true mountain country. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:00 | |
Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Great Britain. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:03 | |
Imagine being audacious enough, and brave enough to think you could dig a canal through this terrain. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:09 | |
I mean, even on the Telford scale, this was off the chart. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:13 | |
Carving a canal through these giant mountains was an astonishing challenge | 0:08:17 | 0:08:21 | |
that ended up going massively over-budget | 0:08:21 | 0:08:23 | |
and took much longer than ever planned. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:25 | |
I'm approaching Banavie, the first village on my walk | 0:08:30 | 0:08:33 | |
where I've arranged to meet someone who can tell me more about Telford's ambitious plan. | 0:08:33 | 0:08:37 | |
-Nigel, just the man I needed to see. -Hello. | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
-Hello, how are you doing? -Fine, thank you. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:43 | |
'Nigel Ricks is a modern-day engineer overseeing the upkeep of this stretch of waterway.' | 0:08:43 | 0:08:49 | |
I need you to tell me about Telford. I mean, obviously he was this great man, this ambitious man, | 0:08:49 | 0:08:54 | |
-but this was an enormous project, wasn't it? -Absolutely, it was the largest... | 0:08:54 | 0:08:59 | |
..there was nothing like it in Britain at all, it was massive. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:02 | |
It was a huge ship canal as opposed to the small canals they had in England. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
So, it was sort of beyond the imagination, really? | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
Generally, yes, it was just beyond, certainly in this part the world, there was nothing ever like it. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:14 | |
So who was going to fund this big idea? | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
This was amazing, again, because it wasn't privately funded, | 0:09:16 | 0:09:21 | |
it was public funded. The government paid, the taxpayer paid. | 0:09:21 | 0:09:25 | |
-And then that was unheard of? -Absolutely. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:27 | |
It was all private enterprise, canals and such like. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:30 | |
-So this was nationalisation, really? -Yeah, very much so. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
The impetus was much greater because of the times. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:36 | |
The times being times of strife, times of trouble? | 0:09:36 | 0:09:39 | |
Yes, indeed, it was during the Napoleonic wars. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
There was also a mass emigration from this part of the world, | 0:09:43 | 0:09:46 | |
people were leaving the Highlands in droves. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:48 | |
The government wanted to stop that and to give employment. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:52 | |
So, really, was this a huge master plan that covered all bases? | 0:09:52 | 0:09:56 | |
Oh, very much so. Yes, indeed. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:58 | |
Initially, and for the long term. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:00 | |
That was the cunning plan. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:02 | |
So, Thomas Telford, he was more than just an engineer, wasn't he? | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
Well, yes, he was an absolute genius. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
He was a great visionary and he was so enthusiastic | 0:10:07 | 0:10:09 | |
that when the canal started, | 0:10:09 | 0:10:11 | |
he actually started about six months before he got the signature on the bit of paper. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:15 | |
And they to had to rein him back. He was so enthusiastic, so keen. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:20 | |
And let me show you just an example of his engineering genius. It's just along here. Follow me. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:25 | |
It's just a couple of hundred yards further on | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
to the bottom of Neptune's staircase, a dramatic flight of locks. | 0:10:30 | 0:10:34 | |
Eight locks, rises 64 ft in 450 yards. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:41 | |
And again, remember, when it was actually built there was nothing like it. | 0:10:41 | 0:10:46 | |
Without this, the canal wouldn't have worked | 0:10:48 | 0:10:51 | |
because we are in the Highlands, we are in the mountains, and water doesn't travel up, does it? | 0:10:51 | 0:10:56 | |
No, it's an integral part of the whole structure. | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
It's the largest flight of locks on this canal. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:01 | |
-How long does it take to get through Neptune's staircase? -Approximately an hour and a half. | 0:11:01 | 0:11:06 | |
It can be slightly quicker coming down because coming down is quicker than going up | 0:11:06 | 0:11:10 | |
and you've got the water. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:12 | |
What all this means, of course, is that I do have a bit of a climb | 0:11:12 | 0:11:15 | |
which I didn't think I would have on a canal walk. | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
Yes, it's a good climb, but once you get up there and along, | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
-it'll be well worth it. -Right, I'm going to get on my way, then. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
Before you go, I'd like to give you this small pressie | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
which is the Bible of the canal. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
Right, the Caledonian Canal. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
I shall read, take notes and learn. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:36 | |
-Thank you very much, Nigel. -Not at all. -Thanks a lot. -Bye-bye. -See you, bye. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:40 | |
This impressive flight of locks was named after Neptune, | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
the Roman god of the seas | 0:11:47 | 0:11:49 | |
by the navvies, the name given to the men who navigated the route | 0:11:49 | 0:11:52 | |
and built it. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
Neptune's staircase might be hard work for walkers like me, | 0:11:55 | 0:11:59 | |
but it also proved to be an obstacle for shipping. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
On 22nd February, 1929, | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
the boat Girl Patricia | 0:12:09 | 0:12:11 | |
crashed through the top lock | 0:12:11 | 0:12:12 | |
and was swept into the next, damaging its gates before being brought to a stop. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:18 | |
Disaster was narrowly averted and this lock wall held strong against the increase in water pressure. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:24 | |
If it had collapsed, all the water in this reach | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
would have cascaded down, flooding the village of Banavie. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:31 | |
Three to go. | 0:12:35 | 0:12:37 | |
Good thing about this route is you can't get lost, | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
just follow the canal. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:47 | |
Number eight. That's it for the climbing. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:51 | |
The obstacles don't stop here. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:54 | |
I'm also going to have to contend with the weather. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
But for the pioneering and patriotic Telford, | 0:12:58 | 0:13:01 | |
he was determined to overcome all barriers. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:05 | |
This wasn't just another route, | 0:13:08 | 0:13:09 | |
it was the country's first social enterprise scheme and a matter of national pride, | 0:13:09 | 0:13:14 | |
which he described as one of the noblest projects that was ever laid before a nation. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:19 | |
For most canals built in England, | 0:13:24 | 0:13:27 | |
securing a constant supply of water was an issue. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:30 | |
Not here in Scotland. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:32 | |
In fact, the opposite. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:35 | |
There could often be too much water. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
Heavy rain meant flooding could easily threaten the banks of the canal. | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
And, for me, it means a walk of showers and sunshine. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:48 | |
By planting an embankment of half a million trees, | 0:13:50 | 0:13:54 | |
with spruces from Sweden and 20,000 fine thorns, | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
Telford strengthened the banks against the potential of devastating rising waters. | 0:13:57 | 0:14:02 | |
Planting trees wasn't enough to secure the canal, though. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:11 | |
Telford needed to implement some of the tricks of the trade he'd been developing elsewhere. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
After just over two miles, the canal is carried across | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
a rather inconspicuous aqueduct which lies hidden below the towpath. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:26 | |
I read about this in the book. | 0:14:28 | 0:14:30 | |
And, you know me, I love a good snoop. | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
Its purpose is to allow the rainwater from the hills | 0:14:37 | 0:14:40 | |
to drain away under the aqueduct | 0:14:40 | 0:14:41 | |
and therefore prevent the canal flooding. | 0:14:41 | 0:14:45 | |
And it's where I am meeting Ian McLaren, the man who looks after the Seangan aqueduct. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:49 | |
-Hi there, Ian. -Hello. -Drain problems? -Yes, drain problems. | 0:14:49 | 0:14:53 | |
-We all have drain problems. -Oh, yes. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
-This is a really dinky little aqueduct, isn't it? -It is, it is. -How old is she? | 0:14:56 | 0:15:01 | |
-She's coming up for 200 years old. -Can we go in? -Yes, certainly, yeah. -Come on. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:05 | |
Ah, yeah, the torch. We might need that. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
-It kind of gets wet in the Highlands. -Yes, I've noticed that. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:18 | |
So, because there's so much water, that was the problem for the canals, | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
-because they would have flooded. -Yes, aye. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:24 | |
It's a way of getting rid of the water, not going into the canal. | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
And right now, how much water's on top of us | 0:15:27 | 0:15:30 | |
-because the canal is on top of us, isn't it? -Yes, there's tons of water. | 0:15:30 | 0:15:34 | |
There's nearly 20 ft of water above you. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:36 | |
And this little structure is protecting us from that? | 0:15:36 | 0:15:41 | |
-Yes. -And acting as a drainage system as well? | 0:15:41 | 0:15:43 | |
-As a drainage system, yes. -It really was one of Telford's master strokes. -Oh, it sure was. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
Absolutely fantastic for a structure nearly 200 years old | 0:15:47 | 0:15:51 | |
and still to be in the condition it's in. | 0:15:51 | 0:15:54 | |
-And you've been working here for how long? -I've been here coming up for 25 years. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
-I'm actually the fourth generation. -Really? -From this canal, yes. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:03 | |
So if we do the maths, So your grandfather, your father, your grandfather... | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
-My grandmother's father worked on the canal. -So, well over 100 years? | 0:16:08 | 0:16:12 | |
-Oh, nearly 120 years. -That's incredible. -Yes, yes. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:16 | |
-Do you have children? -No, I will be the last. -This is it? -Yes. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
It stops here? | 0:16:19 | 0:16:20 | |
I'm afraid British Waterways have had the whole of our family, that'll do us, I think. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:25 | |
-Well, look, you know what, you've given your time, haven't you? 120-odd years. -Yes. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:29 | |
Back up on the towpath, this lovely tree-lined corridor continues, | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
making for some easy-going and scenic walking. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:40 | |
Eventually, the trees give way to an altogether more Highland scene. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:03 | |
This is where you get a real sense of the truly mountainous terrain | 0:17:06 | 0:17:09 | |
Telford had to pioneer a route through. | 0:17:09 | 0:17:12 | |
That little hut over there in the distance represents skiing in this part of Scotland. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:30 | |
That's the back of Ben Nevis, that's Aonach Mor, | 0:17:30 | 0:17:32 | |
and the great thing about this walk is that you don't have mountains at the start, | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
they're with you every step of the way. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
In this mountainous landscape, | 0:17:38 | 0:17:40 | |
Telford had to be prepared for just how much rain could pour off these slopes. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:45 | |
Building aqueducts and strengthening the banks weren't his only precautions. | 0:17:49 | 0:17:54 | |
He also needed to have a way of letting water out of the canal | 0:17:54 | 0:17:58 | |
should it simply get to full. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:01 | |
I've read about this in my book. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:04 | |
This was Telford's answer, the Loy Sluices. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:13 | |
An overflow system that would allow water to be drained from the canal. | 0:18:13 | 0:18:17 | |
So, that lovely boat would be over my shoulder along with the handsome man on a horse | 0:18:21 | 0:18:27 | |
which means I must be standing just about here. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:31 | |
I'm having a look over there, not a lot of water | 0:18:31 | 0:18:35 | |
so the sluice gate is shut. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:38 | |
The plug's in today. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:40 | |
Telford might have had the answers to some of the engineering problems which the route posed, | 0:18:46 | 0:18:52 | |
but he knew these would amount to nothing without a strong and dedicated workforce. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:57 | |
To cut the canal line alone | 0:18:57 | 0:18:59 | |
required the removal of 5.25 million cubic yards of soil. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:03 | |
This would have been such incredibly arduous work. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:07 | |
A wheelbarrow, pickaxe, and not much else. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:09 | |
It says here, the navvies, the workers, had "a pernicious habit of drinking whisky". | 0:19:09 | 0:19:14 | |
I'm not surprised. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:15 | |
You'd need something, wouldn't you, to help you through a day like that. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:18 | |
These Highland labourers were more used to working in isolation as subsistence crofters | 0:19:20 | 0:19:24 | |
than in teams of hundreds. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
Many proved unreliable, returning to their crofts during certain seasons | 0:19:27 | 0:19:32 | |
to take part in peat cutting and harvesting. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:35 | |
Telford's grand plan started to falter. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:40 | |
His survey hadn't accurately estimated the costs of cutting locks through rock | 0:19:40 | 0:19:43 | |
and the seven-year deadline proved unrealistic. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:47 | |
Instead, it was to take a total of 19 years. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
But Telford's route through the Great Glen | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
has paved the way for one of the country's most popular long-distance walking trails. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:03 | |
Aye up, we've got company. And they're bigger than me. Hello, hello. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:12 | |
-Where are you off to? -Fort William. -So what have you done? | 0:20:12 | 0:20:16 | |
-Have you done the whole thing, the Great Glen Way? -Correct. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
-How many days have you been going? -Six. -Who's got sore feet? | 0:20:19 | 0:20:23 | |
-He does. -Blisters? -No blisters. -Has it been good, a good experience? | 0:20:23 | 0:20:28 | |
-Yes, it's lovely. -Even in the rain, it was good. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:30 | |
Of course even in the rain! | 0:20:30 | 0:20:32 | |
This part is particularly pretty. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
It's gorgeous, isn't it? It's lovely. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
Well, I'm on my way to Gairlochy, so I'm doing a mini walk. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:40 | |
You've done the full thing, I'll do it next year. | 0:20:40 | 0:20:42 | |
-All right, guys, lovely to meet you. Bye. -Bye, thanks. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:46 | |
'With well over two-thirds of my walk now complete, | 0:20:50 | 0:20:54 | |
'I'm planning to meet Ivor McKay, | 0:20:54 | 0:20:56 | |
'a man who quite literally winds his way along this canal.' | 0:20:56 | 0:20:59 | |
-Hello, how are you today? -I'm fine thank you, how are you? | 0:20:59 | 0:21:02 | |
-I'm good, thank you. What are you up to? -I'm opening the swing bridge here. -So this is a swing bridge? | 0:21:02 | 0:21:08 | |
This is a swing bridge, this is one of the... | 0:21:08 | 0:21:10 | |
-..this is the only original swing bridge left in the canal. -Right. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:15 | |
-And it's near enough 200 years old. -Can I have a go? | 0:21:15 | 0:21:19 | |
-You certainly can. -Thank you. -If you'd like to stand over here. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:23 | |
Tell me, why is it here anyway? | 0:21:23 | 0:21:26 | |
Just get the momentum going and you'll be fine. That's it. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:30 | |
-Here we go. -Nice and easy. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:32 | |
You don't really need to... | 0:21:32 | 0:21:34 | |
-that's it. -Here we go. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:37 | |
The reason the bridge is here was to give access to the farmland on this side | 0:21:39 | 0:21:46 | |
-to the farmers on the other side. -Right. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:49 | |
And to this day, it still stands that the farmer gets right of access | 0:21:49 | 0:21:52 | |
when he comes down the path on his tractor. | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
-How often do you have to do this? -Just depends how many boats we get a day. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:59 | |
In the summertime, it's very busy, you know. | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
-Can maybe do it 20 times a day sometimes. -Keeps you fit! | 0:22:02 | 0:22:06 | |
It certainly does, aye, it's very enjoyable doing it. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
Is that...do you live there? | 0:22:09 | 0:22:11 | |
No, this is an original lock keeper's house | 0:22:11 | 0:22:13 | |
but it's rented out now to private tenants. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:16 | |
But this house has been here since 1836. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
And on each gable end of the house, | 0:22:20 | 0:22:22 | |
-there's small windows where the lock keeper used to... -Keep an eye out for the boats. -East to West for boats. | 0:22:22 | 0:22:28 | |
But now people come on holiday, they can watch you doing all the hard work. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:32 | |
That's right, aye, yes. I get lots of people here taking photographs | 0:22:32 | 0:22:35 | |
and asking about the bridge, you know. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:38 | |
-It's a lovely job. -It's a great job. | 0:22:38 | 0:22:40 | |
I always say it's the best job in Scotland to people. | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
We all enjoy our job on the canal, you know. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
-And we're quite proud of it, it's our heritage. -I'm sure. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:50 | |
-And...you're nearly there. -There we go. | 0:22:50 | 0:22:55 | |
-OK, we'll just take the handle out as well. -Right. -That's it. | 0:22:55 | 0:23:00 | |
So you've to cross to the other side now? | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
-Yes, open up this side over here. -OK. Well, you know what? | 0:23:02 | 0:23:05 | |
-I'm going to leave you to it. Do you need that? -Just leave it down there, please. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:09 | |
-Thank you. -Lovely. Nice to meet you. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
-Thank you. -Enjoy yourself. -I will do. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:14 | |
-Do you paint the boulders as well? -Yes, we pay until the boulders we cut the grass, | 0:23:16 | 0:23:20 | |
-and we do all the maintenance about here. -Lovely. -Cheerio! -See you. | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
Seeing Ivor's bridge in full swing is a great reminder | 0:23:24 | 0:23:27 | |
of just how much care goes into the canal's upkeep, | 0:23:27 | 0:23:30 | |
which today has the impressive title of being a Scheduled Ancient Monument. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:35 | |
It's also set to be enjoyed by another generation of boaters | 0:23:35 | 0:23:39 | |
as the country's first ever designated canoe trail. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:42 | |
In just a short distance, you get your clearest view | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
of the River Loy, which has been burbling alongside throughout. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
It's been a walk brimming with impressive mountain landscapes | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
and engineering prowess, | 0:24:03 | 0:24:05 | |
but sadly it's now time for the last stretch to the Double Locks at Gairlochy. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:11 | |
Originally, there was only one lock here, | 0:24:13 | 0:24:16 | |
but in 1834, heavy rains flooded three feet above its gates, | 0:24:16 | 0:24:19 | |
threatening the entire western section. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
For two days and two nights, | 0:24:24 | 0:24:26 | |
the lock keepers worked around the clock to stem this growing tide. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
They built emergency turf dams and all the sluices were opened wide. | 0:24:29 | 0:24:34 | |
It was a telling warning. | 0:24:37 | 0:24:39 | |
One lock was not enough. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:41 | |
A second was added in 1844, | 0:24:44 | 0:24:46 | |
the only lock on the canal which doesn't date from the original construction. | 0:24:46 | 0:24:51 | |
The canal finally opened in 1822, 12 years later than planned, | 0:25:05 | 0:25:09 | |
and costing £905,000 rather than the £350,000 he had predicted. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:15 | |
By the time it was finished, | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
advances in shipping had made the north coast more navigable | 0:25:17 | 0:25:21 | |
and boats didn't need the canal short cut. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:23 | |
The much hoped-for commercial activity never really took off on the canal. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:29 | |
Its late completion also meant the emerging railways soon stole its advantage. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:34 | |
This canal has a new life now, people enjoying it on boats, | 0:25:45 | 0:25:50 | |
on bikes, in boots. | 0:25:50 | 0:25:52 | |
All sorts. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:54 | |
Today, it's tourism that takes up the story. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:02 | |
And the canal attracts over half a million visitors every year. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:05 | |
So, just as Telford intended, the Highlands are prospering, | 0:26:08 | 0:26:12 | |
all thanks to his canal which connects these locks | 0:26:12 | 0:26:15 | |
and has created a gateway into the magnificent scenery of the Great Glen. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:20 | |
That is a great glen. With a rainbow to boot. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:53 | |
What a journey. | 0:26:53 | 0:26:55 | |
From salt water, to a freshwater loch. | 0:26:55 | 0:26:59 | |
I'm now drawing close to the shores of Loch Lochy, | 0:27:09 | 0:27:12 | |
which Telford so cleverly realised could be part of a connecting chain, | 0:27:12 | 0:27:16 | |
forging a route through this wild cross-country valley. | 0:27:16 | 0:27:20 | |
There's my marker. | 0:27:25 | 0:27:27 | |
Look at that. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
Telford created something on a scale that had never been seen before | 0:27:46 | 0:27:50 | |
and you can't fail to be impressed by that. | 0:27:50 | 0:27:52 | |
And yet it became a bit of a white elephant. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:55 | |
It took three times as long to build as planned. It went over budget. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:59 | |
And it was never fully utilised. | 0:27:59 | 0:28:01 | |
But he did realise a dream, an enormous dream. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:04 | |
He changed the local economy. | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
And what an exquisite walk. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:10 | |
What a legacy. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:12 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:28:17 | 0:28:20 |