13th June 2016 – Day 28 – Crinan canal basin to Bellanoch Bridge

We waited for mum and dad to get to us having left their camper van in a convenient caravan park at Lochgilphead. They caught a taxi to us at the start of the canal and the plan was for us to boat them back to it van at the end of the canal.

The morning also saw one of the old steam boats in the basin taking on coal, which had to be shovelled by hand by (ironically) its fee paying passengers before they left the basin and headed for the island of Jura. 

The process involved swinging the vessel into the 2^nd lock to take them closer to the pile of coal and then wheel-barrow-ing it into a coal bunkers on board. The second coal bunker was only accessible once the vessel had been turned around and the whole process took a couple of hours. Until the second bunker was replenished the vessel took on a nasty list, but all was put right once the second load was in place, then out through the sea lock it went with all its enthusiasts.

After some lunch we also ventured through the second lock and slowly made our way to the Bellanoch bridge, 1.5 miles away. The bridge keeper swung the bridge and we moored up alongside the pontoon just after the bridge.

Determined to make the most of the hefty canal fee we thought we’d take the full 5 days and 4 nights to travel the 7.5 nautical miles. The canal was quite magical in places and odd to be travelling so high off the ground with the countryside to our left dropping away by 5 to 10 meters in places. It was also odd the be sleeping next to a main road and to hear traffic (albeit light) throughout the night.

We walked along to the bird hide and watched and argued about the many sea birds browsing in the nature reserve below us. People walking, running and cycling the tow path all said hello or nodded to acknowledge us. Apart from the midges life had just changed down a gear.

1st mile of the Crinan Canal

 

Bellanoch Bridge