It’s so nice to finally feel the tides and the open sea! Today, we awoke in Corpach to yet another blue sky and UK’s mightiest peak, Ben Nevis, on our port side. It is here that Scottish mountaineers get their schooling before heading to the higher summits of the Alps and the Himalayas; it is a true proving ground in the harsh winters of the northland. We bid farewell to the most ragged peaks of Scotland and transited southeast through Loch Linnhe, the only “sea loch” along the Great Glen Fault. This geologic seaway led us to the quaint town of Oban and a nice afternoon walk to McCaig’s Tower. A day like this reminds us how lucky we are to once again be chartering the Lord of the Glens. Four years away was just too long.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 01 Jun 2023
Corpach to Oban, 6/1/2023, Lord of the Glens
- Aboard the Lord of the Glens
- Scotland aboard Lord of the Glens
Jeff Phillippe, Expedition Leader
Jeff was raised in upstate New York and completed his B.A. in geography at Middlebury College in Vermont. He attained his master’s degree in water resource science at Oregon State University where his research focused on glacier hydrology in the Paci...
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8/31/2024
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Lord of the Glens
Corpach, Neptune’s Staircase, and Fort Augustus
Today, we started our journey up the Caledonian Canal, leaving the ocean behind. The 60-mile-long canal follows the Great Glen, a fault line that began forming 430-390 million years ago. We will sail within the canal to our final destination at Inverness. Our canal venture began with a morning climb up Neptune’s Staircase, a series of eight locks that raises the canal by 19 meters. Almost two thirds of the canal consists of freshwater lochs. Today we crossed over several of these, including Loch Oich, the canal’s high point at 106 feet above sea level. After lunch, we had a chance to stretch our legs with the opportunity to disembark and walk the last couple of miles into Fort Augustus, our berth for the night. The activities weren’t over though. Just before dinner some headed off for another walk, looping through the outskirts of Fort Augustus, while others explored the town on their own. The day was capped off with a presentation on the Scottish kilt and plaid.
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Lord of the Glens
Oban, Corpach, Glenfinnan
Oban is a bustling town that provides services for surrounding communities as well as transportation for visitors and locals alike. Ferries, busses, and trains all leave from here. We had the morning to explore Oban before setting sail onto Loch Linnhe, heading towards our day’s destination at Corpach at the beginning of the Caledonian Canal. The ship tied up at Corpach, with the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis rising above. From there, many disembarked for Glenfinnan Estate, historically significant as the point where Prince Charles landed in the 1745-46 Jacobite rebellion. A few ventured out to kayak in Loch Linnhe, while others walked the canal bank. All of us enjoyed the sunny, calm weather. Glenfinnan’s Estate Manager Alistair Gibson joined us after dinner, providing a bit of insight into what it takes to run an estate like Glenfinnan.