ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Cool runnings on Caledonian Canal adventure at Inverness

Cold picnics are all part of the joy of an early spring outing – or at least that’s what I tried to convince the children!

We had a day at home together and wanted an adventure, but without having to pile everything into the car and head off into the wilds.

So instead we decided a picnic at Dochgarroch would be enough of an adventure for today. It’s roughly a 10-mile round trip, a long bike ride for five-year-old Matthew but easy enough for the older girls, and I decided to jog it as we wouldn’t be going fast anyway.

The loop from the twin Tomnahurich and Torvean swing bridges is around seven miles, so we headed down the shared-use path alongside the distributor road to reach the West Link bridge at Holm Mills.

Just after the bridge over the river you can cut left, following a green path sign to the Caledonian Canal, and follow a path up to meet the towpath.

We decided to turn left and take the path on the south-east side of the canal first, between the man-made waterway and the River Ness. It passes over a weir then goes through an open area with a view over the river and down the Great Glen.

The girls pedalled off in front while Matthew and I took our time behind them. Having run this route many times over the years, I know the features to tick off on each side, so we passed the cattery visible on the far side then double pylon lines that cross high overhead.

As Matthew was starting to tire, I told him to look out for the boats that are moored as you approach Dochgarroch, but he spotted a moving one before then as the cruise boats were out in force on the water.

Then we had to squeeze by a tractor that was grass cutting along the banks of the canal – after waiting for the workers to pause and allow us to pass safely, which they did quickly and with a friendly approach.

Soon we were on the home straight, with the boats on the opposite side and the lock gate ahead, where we aimed for the picnic tables despite them being slightly wet from an earlier shower.

We had our waterproofs with us, so made ourselves comfortable for our picnic of sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and apples.

The Caledonian Canal celebrated 200 years since it was opened last year, and the history of the area is intertwined with this remarkable route through the Great Glen. The Dochgarroch lock is one of a series that help the water level drop from here at the edge of Loch Dochfour to the sea in the Beauly Firth.

Matthew was very interested in how deep the water was, especially where you can see the rocks below the water as they drop into the depths. It’s amazing to think much of that was dug out by men with pick-axes.

After a while, we were starting to cool down – particularly me as I was running in shorts – so we decided to get moving again, and headed across the lock gate and past the control building.

A narrow path leads to a gate and you follow the access road past the moored boats. A series of speed bumps were great fun for Matthew as he shot ahead to ride over them!

At a fence it’s possible to go either way, but the canal path – signed prominently from the fence – is the smoother and more direct option. We kept to the towpath as it goes alongside more gorse and hedgerow, a haven for wildlife alongside the water.

We spotted a pair of goosander on the water, and plenty of small birds from chaffinches and blue tits to goldfinches, too. It was nice for me to be taking it easy and getting the time to spot the beauty of nature here, which I admit I don’t always do if I’m on a running session here!

Tired legs were starting to catch up with Matthew, but thankfully I’d packed a bit of a late Easter treat, so we regrouped to enjoy a bit of chocolate to give us a boost as we got closer to the newer swing bridge at Torvean.

After crossing the bridge, we just had the trip back along the distributor and home for a real door-to-door adventure. But I admit I’m looking forward to some warmer weeks ahead!

Route details

Dochgarroch Loop

Distance 10 miles / 16 km

Terrain Canal towpath plus shared-use cycle paths

Start/finish Essich roundabout on Southern Distributor Road in Inverness

Map OS Landranger 26; OS Explorer 416

A run/walk to Dochgarroch beside the Caledonian Canal with the kids in tow on their bikes

Click here to see the route in OS Maps