Inverarnan Canal

Inverarnan Canal
Specifications
Locks	0
Status	Mostly intact
History
Principal engineer	Mr Ferrier
Date of first use	1843-4
Date closed	Circa 1866 or 1870s^[1]
Geography
Start point	River Falloch
End point	Drover's Inn

The Inverarnan Canal was a short length of canal terminating at Garbal, close to the hamlet of Inverarnan, Scotland. This waterway once linked the old coaching inn, now the Drovers Inn, to the River Falloch and passengers could travel onward to Loch Lomond and finally to Balloch. From Inverarnan stagecoaches ran to various destinations in the north of Scotland.

History

The hamlet of Inverarnan with its 300 year old inn lies in Stirling, Scotland, close to Crianlarich. The hamlet of Ardlui, Argyll and Bute lies nearby on the banks of Loch Lomond into which the River Falloch flows.

The canal was privately built with the support of steamship owners Mr Napier and Mr McMurrick^[2] in order to permit steamers to avoid the sometimes shallow water, the gravel banks as well as the bends of the River Falloch's course from the top of Loch Lomond and also to create convenient travel directly to Inverarnan that was a stagecoach stop and had a drovers inn for refreshments, accommodation, etc.^[3]^[4]

Mails, goods and passengers were transported and stagecoaches ran at first from Inverarnan ran to Killin and Ballachulish, later also running to Inverness, Aberfeldy, Oban and Crieff.^[5]

Construction and infrastructure

Construction started in 1842 however due to very wet weather and severe winters with heavy snows the canal was not fully completed until 1844 despite only being 530 yards or 485 metres long with no locks.^[6] The turning basin had a short landing stage and was only around 300 yards or 274 metres south of the inn.^[7] A lade or channel from the Allt Arnan Burn is shown supplying the turning basin and the more recent incursion of this burn into the canal area is in this general area.^[8] Brick work is mentioned as being in good condition on the embankments.^[9] It is not clear whether ships were charged for the right to use the canal.

Steamers

The Drovers Inn at Inverarnan.

The Loch Lomond was the first Steamboat to navigate the River Falloch and the Inverarnan Canal and in 1844 Inverarnan and the Canal were fully advertised and the regular services to the pier were fully established. The steamer 'Water Witch' is recorded to have used the canal.^[10]^[11] it was possible at the time to reach Glasgow from Oban in a day by coach, steamer and train.^[12]

Decline

The canal water levels were too low at times and the Garbal basin and entrance from the River Falloch were prone to the accumulation of gravel. Competition between steamer companies had always been a problem however the opening in 1870 of the Callander and Oban Railway as far as Killin ended the through services to the north via Loch Lomond as it was more convenient for passengers to board stage coaches there.^[13] It is unclear when steamers finally ceased to travel as far as Inverarnan Harbour basin as the general term 'Head of Loch Lomond' was often used in published timetables.^[14]

Remnants

The canal itself remains intact and water filled although overhung by trees. The harbour and turning basin have been filled in with gravel deposits carried in by the Allt Arnan Burn that has broken through into it.

Route

The Inverarnan terminus (NN319181) was a boat turning circle at Garabal, close to the Inverarnan Inn, now the Drovers Inn. From the basin the canal followed a near-straight north to south course between the twisting course of the Allt Arnan Burn on the western side and the bends of the Falloch to the east. Steamers could reach the old Garabal landing via the River Falloch when the water levels were high enough and other conditions were appropriate.^[15]

Points of interest

In 1856 the Inspector of Steam Vessels decreed that an 'on site' dry dock or slip was required for the appropriate maintenance of Loch Lomond's steamers^[16] and a start was made the same year on a dry dock at the canal basin on the Inverarnan Canal.^[17] Land at the right price and at a suitable location may have influenced this unlikely choice however after a month or two's work the plan was scrapped and Luss was chosen instead.^[18]

Micro-history

The only canal ever built in the historic Breadalbane area.^[19]

In 1880 – 81 a bridge across the River Falloch near Ardlui was planned and construction started however a group led by the Earl of Breadalbane and others were able to stop the work on the grounds that it would prevent the Loch Lomond Steamboat Companies vessels from travelling up the Falloch to Inverarnan even though regular services had ceased a decade or so before. The unfinished bridge is still recognisable as two large stone pillars.^[20]

References

Notes

Sources

Graham, Duncan (2011). Sunset on the Clyde. Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd.
Many a Slip... The Balloch Steam Slipway. Pub. by The Loch Lomond Steamship Company.
Thomas, David St John (1984). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 6, Scotland, the Lowlands and the Borders'Newton Abbot : David and Charles. ISBN 0-946537-12-7.

Unnavigable waterways of the United Kingdom

England	Adelphi Canal Aike Beck Andover Canal Arbury Canals Barnsley Canal Baybridge Canal Beat Bank Branch Canal Blyth Navigation Bradford Canal Braunton Canal Caistor Canal Chard Canal City Canal Coombe Hill Canal Croydon Canal Dearne and Dove Canal Derby Canal Donnington Wood Canal Dorset and Somerset Canal Douglas Navigation Galton's Canal Glastonbury Canal Grand Surrey Canal Greasbrough Canal Grosvenor Canal Hackney Canal Heywood Branch Canal Horncastle Canal Itchen Navigation Ivelchester and Langport Navigation Ketley Canal Leominster Canal Leven Canal Liskeard and Looe Union Canal London to Portsmouth canal Louth Navigation Mersey and Irwell Navigation Newport Pagnell Canal Nutbrook Canal Oakham Canal Pidcock's Canal River Gipping River Nar River Sow Navigation River Tone Rochdale Branch Canal Rolle Canal Runcorn and Weston Canal Runcorn to Latchford Canal St Columb Canal Salisbury and Southampton Canal Shrewsbury Canal Shropshire Canal Sir John Glynne's Canal Somerset Coal Canal Stamford Canal Stourbridge Extension Canal Stockport Canal Stover Canal Tavistock Canal Thorne and Hatfield Moors Peat Canals Ulverston Canal Westport Canal Wisbech Canal Wombridge Canal

Northern Ireland	Dukart's Canal

Scotland	Aberdeenshire Canal Dingwall Canal Forth and Cart Canal Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal Inverarnan Canal Monkland Canal

Wales	Aberdare Canal Glamorganshire Canal Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal

Coordinates: 56°19′34″N 4°43′08″W / 56.326°N 4.719°W / 56.326; -4.719

Settlements in Stirling (council area)

Cities	Stirling

Towns	Bannockburn Bridge of Allan Callander Doune Dunblane

Villages	Aberfoyle Balfron Balmaha Balquhidder Blanefield Blairlogie Buchlyvie Cambusbarron Cambuskenneth Cowie Crianlarich Croftamie Deanston Drymen Fallin Fintry Gargunnock Gartmore Killearn Killin Kinlochard Kippen Milton of Buchanan Lochearnhead Plean Port of Menteith Strathblane Strathyre Thornhill Tyndrum

Hamlets	Ardchullarie More Ardchyle Ardeonaig Arnprior Ashfield Auchlyne Balfron Station Boquhan Buchanan Smithy Dalmary Gartness Inverarnan Kilmahog Kinbuck Milton Mugdock Stronachlachar Throsk

Districts of Stirling	Abbey Craig Airthley Allan Park Borestone Braehead Broomridge Burghmuir Causewayhead Chartersall Corn Exchange Cornton Coxethill Craigmill Craig Leith Cultenhove Forthbank Gillies Hill Gowan Hill Hillpark Kenningknowes Kildean King's Park Laurelhill Livilands Loanhead Mercat Cross Raploch Randolphfield Riverside Spittal Hill Springkerse St. Ninians Torbrex Whins of Milton Viewforth Wolfcraig

Other settlements	Auchtubh Blair Drummond Brig o' Turk Carbeth Clifton Dalrigh Inversnaid Rowardennan Ruskie

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