Which Scottish canal runs through the Great Glen and includes Loch Ness?

The Scottish canal that runs through the Great Glen and includes Loch Ness is the Caledonian Canal.

The Caledonian Canal crosses Scotland from Inverness on the east coast to Corpach near Fort William on the west coast. Much of its route uses natural lochs in the Great Glen, including Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy. Only about one-third of the route is artificially excavated, which is why the waterway could span the glen without being dug from end to end.

Construction followed plans developed by engineer Thomas Telford after the British government approved the project in 1803. The canal was completed in 1822. It rises to a summit about 106 feet above sea level and contains 29 locks, including the famous eight-lock staircase at Banavie known as Neptune’s Staircase.

Loch Ness is therefore a major natural section of the canal, not simply a nearby landmark. The Caledonian Canal was designed to provide a safer route between Scotland’s east and west coasts, avoiding the exposed waters around the northern tip of Britain. It is now used heavily by leisure craft, tour boats, canoes, and other visitors, as well as by occasional commercial vessels.