East is best

Our last peaceful night in the Caledonian Canal was spent at Dochgarroch Loch, at the NE end of Loch Ness. For once it was warm enough to eat dinner in the cockpit, while swallows darted around the boat, dipping on and off the water. Next morning we were off at 9am through the lock and on to the last big flight of downward locks, plus a swing bridge and a railway bridge. The crew, Tim and Alison were now old hands at walking the bow and stern ropes forward through a series of locks. When we were motoring through the canal, they took advantage of sitting at the bow for a quiet, contemplative moment. 

The last hurdle in the canal (so to speak) was the Clachnaharry sea-lock, where the tame, domestic canal was suddenly surrounded by the great blue expanse of the Inverness Firth. It felt like dropping off the edge of the world. A cheery goodbye from the lock-keeper and we squirted out, on the other side of Scotland, one big step closer to home.



Only a mile further on, we turned into Inverness Marina. The afternoon was spent sightseeing and charity shopping in Inverness while Tim and Alison sorted out their bus travel back to Oban where they'd left the car. We struggled to get a table at any restaurant because of the Rock Ness festival which had the town packed to the gills with visitors, but ended up at a cracking Tuscan establishment called Riva for a celebratory supper. On Sunday morning there was just time to wish Tim happy birthday before he and Alison departed, with much luggage, in a taxi to the bus station. 

Only two hours later, Nic's mother Ilona and his brother Felix arrived in their motorhome. Between the departure and the arrival was much frantic cleaning and polishing.  Ilona duly inspected Sirena IV and pronounced her 'a beautiful boat'. She had sailed in Sirena I and II, with Nic's dad Ken, when Nic was just a nipper. Lunch and dinner were eaten in their motorhome looking out on the various boats plying up and down a sparkling Inverness Firth.