Fort Augustus Planned Winter Works 2024/25
We are carrying out essential work to the Fort Augustus lock flight this winter, with a £1.65m capital investment as part of Scottish Canals’ Asset Management Strategy.
The planned work involves upgrading the lock gate cills; these are the raised sections on the floor of the lock chamber, against which the lock gates seal shut. A new, improved, design of steel cill is now available, and we will be installing these at lock gates one to five on the Fort Augustus flight.
These new cills will improve the efficiency of the lock gates; this in turn will help to prolong the life expectancy of the gates, improve water management requirements, and help us to provide a better experience for those visiting and transiting the lock flight.
Update 14/01/2025 - Notice of pedestrian diversion
Our site team will shortly be closing access to the lock gate walkways, and are currently installing a temporary pedestrian bridge between lock gates four and five, near the top of the lock flight, as alternative access over the canal.Â
You can see the towpath diversion route on the map below.
Although Canal Side Road south is closed to vehicle access due to the BEAR Scotland bridge works, there is still pedestrian access to the canalside businesses via the footpath from the road bridge, by walking up the north side and crossing the canal, or by walking round via Station Road.
Update 20/12/2024 - Notice of Canalside Road South road closure
As previously noted, our winter works are timed to run alongside the planned BEAR Scotland works at Fort Augustus road bridge.
BEAR Scotland will be closing Canalside Road South between the canal bridge (the A82) and Station Road from 7am on Monday 6th January 2025. The road will remain closed for the duration of their works and until the end of our planned works.
We will facilitate required local access, which will be via Station Road. Our principal contractor Mackenzie Construction will co-ordinate traffic management.
03/12/2024 Notification of works
The works programme is currently being finalised, but we expect Mackenzie Construction, our principal contractor, to begin setting up their site compound for the works from Monday 16th December. The compound will be on our existing motorhome parking, at the top of the lock flight. We then expect work to begin on the lock flight on Monday 6th January 2025 and to finish in readiness for the reopening of the canal in the spring of 2025.
The works are planned to run during the current canal winter closure and alongside the planned BEAR Scotland Fort Augustus road bridge essential engineering works to minimise the impact locally. Site hours will be from 7am to 7pm daily; we will advise in advance (via our webpages, noted below) should any activity require the team to be onsite outwith these hours.
We recognise that there will be some unavoidable disruption, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. In order to keep this disruption to a minimum, the team will be working over weekends, ensuring the programme is completed as quickly as is safely possible. Â Some of the works in dewatered lock chambers will be particularly noisy; the team will - as far as possible - carry these works out between 8am and 6:30pm. Please be assured that we will be working with Mackenzie Construction to do all we can to minimise any impact, as far as practicable, throughout the works.
As custodians of Scotland’s canals, we have a duty of care for the continued operation of the canal, as well as for all those who work, live, or visit us here. These winter works will play a vital part in ensuring that the Caledonian Canal continues to attract thousands of visitors by land and water for many years to come.
We’d like to keep you updated
We are committed to keeping all local residents, businesses, and other stakeholders informed of the winter works programme, and will do so via email and online updates.
You can find the updates about the works on our website, on our Projects webpage. We will share notice of road and towpath closures on this Ongoing Works webpage, and we will also share any important updates on the Caledonian Canal Facebook page.
If you would like to receive email updates on the works’ progress, please let us know by emailing FAWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk. Your details will not be held for any other purpose and will not be passed on to any third parties.
If you have any concerns during this programme of works, you can contact Douglas Gordon, Middle District Operations Supervisor (Scottish Canals), on 07711 796 308 (09:00 – 17:00, Mon – Fri) or you can email FAWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk. Alternatively, you can contact Mackenzie Construction on 0141 633 5555 (08:00 – 17:00, Mon - Fri). Should you need to contact the team urgently outwith these hours, please call Scottish Canals’ emergency number, 0800 072 9900.