Telford's Tales On The Caledonian Canal

To celebrate the achievement of a mammoth feat of engineering, The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service Rangers and British Waterways Scotland are holding a living history family event for Highland Archaeology Fortnight.

"Telford’s Tales", is a guided walk that allows participants to meet characters re-enacting engineer Thomas Telford, William Jessop and some of the people who worked on these grand designs.

Clelland McCallum, Great Glen Way Ranger Service said: "The Highlands of Scotland has a rich industrial archaeological past. The Caledonian Canal is one of the most important historic sites in Scotland running through the heart of the Highlands and is still in use today.

"The Canal was the first public funded transport scheme and was built to boost the economy of the highlands, at a time when the British Government was scared that the Highlands of Scotland would side with the French during the Napoleonic War.

"Thomas Telford was the greatest engineer of his day and built many of the structures that now taken for granted, from roads and railways to the Caledonian Canal which was the first form of public transport and took nearly 20 years to build when works began in 1803. We are hoping to get across to people the brilliant story the Canal still has to tell"

The event will be held in Fort Augustus on Friday 14th October at 2.00 - 3.30pm to book a place contact Highland Council Planning and Development Great Glen Way Rangers on 01320 366633.