Crinan Canal

Crinan Canal
The Crinan Canal at Cairnbaan
LocationArgyll and Bute
CountryScotland
Coordinates56°03′27″N 05°27′57″W / 56.05750°N 5.46583°W / 56.05750; -5.46583 NR 84306 90378
Specifications
Length9 miles (14 km)
StatusOpen
History
Current ownerScottish Canals, Scottish Government
Principal engineerJames Paterson, James Watt, John Rennie and Thomas Telford
Date of act1773
Construction began1794
Date completed1801
Geography
Directionwest to east
Start pointCrinan
End pointLochgilphead
Beginning coordinates56°05′28″N 05°33′23″W / 56.09111°N 5.55639°W / 56.09111; -5.55639
Ending coordinates56°00′43″N 05°26′44″W / 56.01194°N 5.44556°W / 56.01194; -5.44556

The Crinan Canal is a nine miles (14 km) long navigable canal in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It opened in 1801 and connects the village of Ardrishaig on Loch Gilp with Crinan on the Sound of Jura, providing a navigable route between the Firth of Clyde and the Inner Hebrides, without the need for a long diversion around the Kintyre Peninsula, and in particular the exposed Mull of Kintyre.[1]

Today the canal is operated by Scottish Canals and is a popular route for leisure craft, used by nearly 2,000 boats annually.[2] The towpath is part of National Cycle Route 78.[3][4]

The canal is a two-part scheduled monument.[5][6] Loch a' Bharain, which serves as a feeder reservoir for the canal, is also a scheduled monument.[7]

Map
Route map
  1. ^ Burrows 1981, p. 4
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference History was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Route 78, Sustrans, retrieved 3 June 2014
  4. ^ "Lochgilphead to Crinan". Sustrans. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  5. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Crinan Canal,Crinan to Cairnbaan (SM6500)". Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  6. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Crinan Canal,Cairnbaan - Ardrishaig (SM6501)". Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  7. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Crinan Canal,Loch a' Bharain canal feeder (SM6502)". Retrieved 25 February 2019.