Embark on a 60-mile Caledonian Canal passage in the Scottish Highlands on a luxury 57-foot Oyster sailing yacht.
7 nights: 6 - 13 May 2023
From £1880 per person
Thomas Telford created this waterway 200 years ago. Admire the engineering feats as we travel through the numerous locks and pass through Neptune's Staircase. Gaze at the spectacular scenery where history has unfolded over the millennia, from castles bearing the battle scars of the Jacobite Revolution to the dark and mysterious waters of Loch Ness. This is Scotland at its finest.
Saturday May 6th
Enjoy your welcome drink, followed by canapes and dinner as we introduce you to your fellow travellers.
Sunday May 7th
The waterway widens into Loch Dochfour and onward to Loch Ness after passing through a series of locks and swing bridges. Taking advantage of this vast expanse of water, we will raise our sails and glide gently through the Highlands. Upon seeing Urquhart Castle, we will drop anchor in the protected waters of Urquhart Bay. There’s nothing like a night at anchor.
Monday May 8th
An opportunity to explore. You can explore Urquhart Castle when we ferry you ashore. Founded almost 800 years ago, the castle hosted King David II in 1395 before becoming the romantic ruin it is today in the 19th century. Visit the impressive Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition after visiting the castle. The exhibition explores the history of Loch Ness from its beginnings to the third millennium. We will then take you back to the yacht for another night at anchor.
Tuesday May 9th
Fort Augustus is our next port of call after passing Loch Ness. You can stretch your legs in this historic hamlet, visit the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre, or simply relax in one of the many coffee shops.
Wednesday May 10th.
After navigating through a series of locks, we will moor up at Laggan Avenue where we will spend the night next to Loch Oich. Our goal is to visit The Eagle Barge Inn here. In this remote location, a great little barge pub offers good beer and friendly service.
Thursday May 11th.
After passing through the locks at Laggan, motor into Loch Lochy. As we approach the Grampian Mountains, it is time to raise our sails and enjoy the spectacle. On our way to Fort William, we will catch our first glimpse of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain at 4413 feet. Tonight we’ll moor up and prepare for Neptune’s Staircase.
Friday May 12th
We will descend Neptune’s Staircase. This is the longest staircase lock in Britain taking us the final 70 feet of our journey down to sea level.
Saturday May 13th.
Depart Asante 10 am
is a 2007 Oyster 56 A luxury 57ft sailing yacht designed by Rob Humphries. The 56 is perhaps the quintessential Oyster design and was the undisputed class leader at this size for more than a decade.
The key to her success is her size; large enough for rapid ocean cruising and to accommodate her crew and guests in comfort and style when living aboard, but easy to handle.
A spacious deck layout, large secure cockpit area and wide side decks make for comfortable and safe cruising and there are plenty of places to relax on deck.
The interior arrangement provides 3 separate cabins for guests. There is one double cabin, and two twin cabins, one forward and one aft. There is a day head midships for use by all guests and the large bright saloon offers plenty of room for relaxing in comfort. All creature comforts can be found on board: heating, air conditioning and fully covered cockpit if it is cold. The guests separate shower stall and quiet flush electric toilet makes it feel a little more like home.
The Oyster 56 is a proven performer, with many ocean crossings and circumnavigations to her credit. She has had class wins in the ARC and has also won Cruising Class 1 at Antigua Sailing Week, beating several more serious racing yachts. She is a superb sea boat and remains very well regarded by all her fortunate owners.
Step aboard! We would be delighted to welcome you onto one of our adventure sailing charters aboard Asante, our luxury yacht an Oyster 57ft. For those who don’t want to stray far from home perhaps you may consider sailing with us around the East Coast of England or exploring the West Coast of Scotland with its beautiful islands. Or can we lure you further afield? Cross an ocean, explore the warm Caribbean or venture to remote Pacific islands.
Owned and operated by Ian & Fiona, we specialise in taking guest to some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. Footloose Sailing Adventures offers crewed charters that caters to all experience levels. All you need is a sense of adventure and a willingness to get involved.
Ian who is the skipper is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor with over 120,000 nautical miles of worldwide sailing while Fiona is a Commercial Yachtmaster who also holds Ocean Yachtmaster and is always happy to share her enthusiasm for celestial navigation. She too has sailed in many parts of the world and acts as the first mate. They both enjoy cooking – producing food from local ingredients wherever possible. Ian & Fiona both love adventure, exploring new places and meeting new people. They allow their guest to be a part of the adventure in a relaxed informal way with an element of luxury.
Inverness, UK
Fort William, UK
Saturday May 6th
Enjoy your welcome drink, followed by canapes and dinner as we introduce you to your fellow travellers.
Sunday May 7th
The waterway widens into Loch Dochfour and onward to Loch Ness after passing through a series of locks and swing bridges. Taking advantage of this vast expanse of water, we will raise our sails and glide gently through the Highlands. Upon seeing Urquhart Castle, we will drop anchor in the protected waters of Urquhart Bay. There’s nothing like a night at anchor.
Monday May 8th
An opportunity to explore. You can explore Urquhart Castle when we ferry you ashore. Founded almost 800 years ago, the castle hosted King David II in 1395 before becoming the romantic ruin it is today in the 19th century. Visit the impressive Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition after visiting the castle. The exhibition explores the history of Loch Ness from its beginnings to the third millennium. We will then take you back to the yacht for another night at anchor.
Tuesday May 9th
Fort Augustus is our next port of call after passing Loch Ness. You can stretch your legs in this historic hamlet, visit the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre, or simply relax in one of the many coffee shops.
Wednesday May 10th.
After navigating through a series of locks, we will moor up at Laggan Avenue where we will spend the night next to Loch Oich. Our goal is to visit The Eagle Barge Inn here. In this remote location, a great little barge pub offers good beer and friendly service.
Thursday May 11th.
After passing through the locks at Laggan, motor into Loch Lochy. As we approach the Grampian Mountains, it is time to raise our sails and enjoy the spectacle. On our way to Fort William, we will catch our first glimpse of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain at 4413 feet. Tonight we’ll moor up and prepare for Neptune’s Staircase.
Friday May 12th
We will descend Neptune’s Staircase. This is the longest staircase lock in Britain taking us the final 70 feet of our journey down to sea level.
Saturday May 13th.
Depart Asante 10 am
