Only 9 miles in length, the Crinan Canal was built to
improve access to the Western Isles, offering a safe transit route
from Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne to Crinan, avoiding the long, arduous
journey around the Mull of Kintyre.
Building the canal
The Crinan Canal Act was passed in 1793, and Thomas Telford
superintended the build. Funding for the canal came from London as
well as Glasgow, but the money ran out in 1801. With the help of
Government loans and additional funding the canal was finally
finished in 1809.
Not all plain sailing
In 1823, a section of the canal bank approximately three miles
north of Ardrishaig failed, and the course of the canal was altered
to avoid the marshy ground which had caused the problem. The old
banks can still be seen between the canal and the main road to
Oban.
Worse was to come in 1859, when a reservoir dam burst. Millions
of gallons of water, along with hundreds of tons of rocks,
boulders, peat and mud, were released, spreading in both directions
along the canal and wrecking locks, pounds, public road and canal
banks - though, miraculously, without any loss of life.
Financial troubles
Given these misfortunes, it is no surprise that the Crinan Canal
never became financially self-supporting. By 1854, the canal was
carrying 33,000 passengers, 27,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle. By 1906
most of the revenue was obtained from goods traffic, but at £6,000
a year this hardly covered operating costs. Nonetheless, the canal
continued as an important local amenity, and a vital supply line to
the Highlands and Islands.
Between 1930 and 1932, new sea locks were built at either end,
making the canal accessible at any state of tide. Lock 14 and the
canal bank between Crinan and Bellanoch were extensively improved
as recently as 1991. The canal is now used largely by yachts as
well as fishing vessels.
The Clyde Puffers
For many years, some of the most prominent sights on the canal were
the Clyde Puffers - little cargo vessels that were designed to fit
the Forth & Clyde and Crinan Canals. They delivered coal to the
West Coast, bringing back whisky and other produce.
Today there are only two puffers left on the
canal, Auld Reekie and Vic 32, which
are based at the canal basin in Crinan. The canal itself no longer
carries freight, although the harbour at Ardrishaig is important
for Scotland's timber trade.