Our Loch Linnhe, Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness 6-night cruise is a relaxing, sheltered water cruise which journeys through the very heart of Scotland, through outstanding scenery. The cruise is a luxurious experience aboard Emma Jane, with ensuite cabins, spacious saloons and decks, a gourmet menu, accompanied onshore excursions, lots of wildlife and even a hot tub! Book Now!
Cruise availability
Our 2019 cruises are fully booked apart from one cabin on our Loch Linnhe, Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness 6-night cruise. This cruise has two departure dates for 2020 on September 19th and 26th. These dates are currently also available for private cruise charter at a 10% discount.
Here is a typical itinerary for the Loch Linnhe, Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness 6-cruise, which may change a little depending on cruising conditions. The itinerary is reversed on September 26th 2020, departing from Inverness. Guests can bring their own cycles on board as there are excellent cycling opportuntiies.
- From Oban, Cruise Loch Linnhe, a stunningly beautiful west coast sea loch, passing the picturesque and quintessentially Scottish castle, Castle Stalker, watching out for dolphins, eagles, seals and otters.
- Anchor off the Island of Lismore, good for sunsets and a coastal stroll.
- Cruise through the Corran Narrows with a “tide race” of fast moving currents. There are stunning views across to Glencoe and Ben Nevis with possible sightings of deer, otters and golden eagles.
- Enter the Caledonian Canal at Corpach and navigate Neptune’s Staircase, just one of the many amazing feats of engineering that make up the Canal. The Staircase is a series of 8 locks and travels up 70 feet in height, the longest staircase lock in the UK..
- Take a shore trip to Clan Cameron Museum and Achnacarry Castle with its lovely gardens and turbulent Ka-Aig Falls.
- Cruise Loch Lochy and into Laggan locks, before entering beautiful Loch Oich. Overnight as Aberchalder, and enjoy a shore side stroll, watching out for pine marten.
- Cruise to Fort Augustus and enjoy the impressive canal lock in the centre of the village. Explore this delightful village which has lots to see, or enjoy a beer watching the boats manoeuvre through the staircase.
- Enjoy an evening walk at Foyers with fabulous views to the west across Loch Ness to watch the sun setting below the hills and maybe a dram at the famous Graigdarroch Inn.
- Cruise across Loch Ness to the famous Urquhart Castle, one of the largest castles in Scotland, with one of the bloodiest histories. The castle ruins are very evocative with a very good audio/visual display and excellent visitor centre. Nessie hunters might want to visit the centre at nearby Drumnadrochit with lots of woodland walks. Anchor at Dochgarroch lock, which is very picturesque with many boats and yachts.
- Cruise Loch Dochfour with a walk ashore along a woodland path redolent of “Swallows and Amazons”, then onwards to Inverness and into the Muirtown basin at the very north end of the Canal for the final night anchorage.
We know nothing of Scotland. It’s time for us to see why people like this area of the world so much. We book a tour found on the internet. The dates are right. We travel to Oban and find the pre-trip information sent to us invaluable. We wait at the dock for the crew to meet us and take our soft-sided luggage to our cabin. The other guests are prompt and the crew is timely too. We marvel at the amazing cameras and the experiences of other passengers. Two have traveled with the ship multiple times. We are focused on where we are and the journey ahead of us. Our luggage is delivered to our ensuite cabin. There is plenty of space to store our gear and thoughtfully placed shelves for items, such as cameras and binoculars we might need without digging through our bags. The double bed has a portal window and well placed reading lamps. Our cabin and the public areas were impeccably cleaned each morning while we are off to shore with naturalist, Alexa. There is a library selection of literature and guide books to help identify what we saw on walks. I noticed a scrabble game, which we never found time to play. The chef, Mags, works in a tiny galley and turns out the most amazing meals. Giving people a choice between vegetarian and non vegetarian entrees, wine is included with the dinners. A breakfast buffet is laid out and there is always a hot breakfast available. There are 8 of us on this voyage. We all eat together and take excursions in the morning and afternoon. Craig is calm and also assists the chef and helps Chris, the Captain, anchor the boat when we stop for the night. Weather and sea conditions are the great unknown in the Hebrides. The deciding factor to where we will go. Chris lets us know the itinerary will be flexible. He picks amazing calm spots to anchor each night. He is very good at communicating why we are going or not going to an island and invites us up to see the bridge. We travel to amazing sites, such as the island Inch Kenneth and Ulva, and learn the history of eac
Greg and Bobbie Hobbs: 27 April 2019Idyllic Islands: Mull, Iona, Staffa & the Treshnish Isles