WATCH: Caledonian Canal becomes shining beacon for 200th anniversary

Scores of people turned out to see the Caledonian Canal get lit up in vivid colours as well as getting a dose of some pomp and ceremony to mark the waterway's 200th anniversary.

Sunday marked two centuries since the first boat sailed down the iconic 19th century Thomas Telford construction which connects the west coast to the east.

To mark the occasion a boat, the Dutch cargo ship The Kommandoren, sailed through the Tomanhurich Bridge gate before the bridge and the neighbouring Torvean crossing were lit up to the delight of a large crowd.

The canal was also illuminated with various lighting displays, turning the trees and surrounding Scottish Canals buildings into bright moving tapestries.

Meanwhile the day before the Neptune’s Staircase, Banavie and Gairlochy Lighthouse were also illuminated turning them into beacons of light for members of the public.

The weekend of family fun was the latest of Scottish Canals work to celebrate the 60 mile waterway's anniversary year which sees around 1400 boats pass through annually.

In 2019 Scottish Canals invested £5.3million in upgrading gates along the route as an investment for the future.

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