Dingwall Canal
Encyclopedia
The Dingwall Canal was a short tidal canal
running from the town of Dingwall
to the Cromarty Firth
in the county of Ross and Cromarty
, Scotland
. It was completed by 1819, to provide better access to the town, but was not a commercial success, and was abandoned in the 1880s after the arrival of the railways.
awarded it a burgh charter in 1587, it mentioned cobbles and small boats. However, there was a problem caused by the deposition of alluvium from the rivers Conon
and Orrin, which made access more difficult, and by 1773 the burgh was in a depressed state. There is some indication that improvements were made to the river soon afterwards, on a plan dated 1777, but a major scheme was actioned in 1815. The River Peffery was made deeper and wider, to allow boats to reach the town. The project was designed by the canal engineer Thomas Telford
, and involved diverting the river through a temporary cut, so that a new course for it could be constructed. The work was completed by 1819, at a total cost of £4,365, to which the burgh had contributed £100 in 1815.
The canal was not a commercial success, as it only generated an income of £100 per year. In 1828, Telford estimated that repairs were needed which would cost £800, and so the town council asked the Commissioners for Highland Roads and Bridges to take over responsibility for it. Their action was not successful, and the burgh continued to manage it. By 1838, it was deemed to be a tolerably good harbour, and there was incoming trade in coal, lime and other goods, with grain, timber and bark passing in the other direction. Ships could dock safely away from the mud flags in what was effectively a tidal basin.
arrived in Dingwall in 1863, becoming part of the Highland Railway
two years later, after which most of the traffic was lost, and the canal ceased to be used by the 1880s. The railway crossed the canal by a bridge which is a listed structure. Immediately to the north of the canal, the railway forks, with one line running northwards to Wick
and Thurso
, and the other running westwards to the Kyle of Lochalsh
. The harbour at the mouth of the canal and a footbridge near the harbour are also listed structures.
Dingwall has a Common Good Fund, which was set up to benefit the people of the town. The deeds for the old part of Jubilee Park, which is located on the south bank of the canal, indicate that the canal is one of the assets of that fund, although no deeds have been found to prove that this is actually the case.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
running from the town of Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
to the Cromarty Firth
Cromarty Firth
The Cromarty Firth of Cromarty') is an arm of the North Sea in Scotland. It is the middle of the three sea lochs at the head of the Moray Firth: to the north lies the Dornoch Firth, and to the south the Beauly Firth....
in the county of Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was completed by 1819, to provide better access to the town, but was not a commercial success, and was abandoned in the 1880s after the arrival of the railways.
History
In 1578, John Leslie the Bishop of Ross produced a map of Scotland, which was published in Rome. Dingwall was of sufficient importance to be included on the map, and when James VIJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
awarded it a burgh charter in 1587, it mentioned cobbles and small boats. However, there was a problem caused by the deposition of alluvium from the rivers Conon
River Conon
The River Conon is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins at Loch Luichart, and flows in a south-easterly direction to be joined by the River Meig at Scatwell before passing through Loch Achonachie...
and Orrin, which made access more difficult, and by 1773 the burgh was in a depressed state. There is some indication that improvements were made to the river soon afterwards, on a plan dated 1777, but a major scheme was actioned in 1815. The River Peffery was made deeper and wider, to allow boats to reach the town. The project was designed by the canal engineer Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, and involved diverting the river through a temporary cut, so that a new course for it could be constructed. The work was completed by 1819, at a total cost of £4,365, to which the burgh had contributed £100 in 1815.
The canal was not a commercial success, as it only generated an income of £100 per year. In 1828, Telford estimated that repairs were needed which would cost £800, and so the town council asked the Commissioners for Highland Roads and Bridges to take over responsibility for it. Their action was not successful, and the burgh continued to manage it. By 1838, it was deemed to be a tolerably good harbour, and there was incoming trade in coal, lime and other goods, with grain, timber and bark passing in the other direction. Ships could dock safely away from the mud flags in what was effectively a tidal basin.
Decline
The canal was 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length, and its life was fairly short. The Inverness and Ross-shire RailwayInverness and Ross-shire Railway
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was incorporated on 3 July 1860 with the aim to build a line to Invergordon. The line opened in stages:* 11 June 1862 - Inverness to Dingwall* 23 March 1863 - Dingwall to Invergordon...
arrived in Dingwall in 1863, becoming part of the Highland Railway
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
two years later, after which most of the traffic was lost, and the canal ceased to be used by the 1880s. The railway crossed the canal by a bridge which is a listed structure. Immediately to the north of the canal, the railway forks, with one line running northwards to Wick
Wick, Highland
Wick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay...
and Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
, and the other running westwards to the Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
. The harbour at the mouth of the canal and a footbridge near the harbour are also listed structures.
Legacy
The route of the canal still forms a pleasant walk from the town to a picnic site on the Cromarty Firth, although there is a firing range nearby, which fires over the canal, and so there are red warning flags and signs to indicate when it is unsafe to use this route.Dingwall has a Common Good Fund, which was set up to benefit the people of the town. The deeds for the old part of Jubilee Park, which is located on the south bank of the canal, indicate that the canal is one of the assets of that fund, although no deeds have been found to prove that this is actually the case.
See also
- Canals of Great Britain
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...