Book your spring boating holiday at the best price! Up t 30% off on cruises in April and 25% off on departures in May 2025 (offer valid until 30/04 on a selection of cruises).

Cris Boat
Schedule a telephone appointment Contact us via the contact form
Ecosse

Hire a licence-free boat in Scotland on the Caledonian Canal

Crisboat - Expert in river boat rental for over 20 years

Current offers

Book your spring boating holiday at the best price! Up t 30% off on cruises in April and 25% off on departures in May 2025 (offer valid until 30/04 on a selection of cruises).
No licence, no experience, and completely safe
Express Quote - Receive personalised offers

Boat rental in Scotland. Discover the highlights of this river cruise between Inverness and Fort William

From Laggan, there are a number of routes to choose from. You can head to Inverness for a cruise on Loch Ness or to Fort William to navigate in the heart of the Scottish countryside. It's a 96km journey along the waterways. You can start your river cruise in Laggan.

Ecose Image

Cities and villages to discover during your cruise

See the current offers
Urquhart Castle, the best vantage point to see "Nessy" the famous Loch Ness monster.
Urquhart Castle, the best vantage point to see "Nessy" the famous Loch Ness monster.
The Netpune 8-lock ladder, the longest lock ladder in the UK!
The Netpune 8-lock ladder, the longest lock ladder in the UK!
Loch Ness, the second largest lake in Scotland and Nessy!
Loch Ness, the second largest lake in Scotland and Nessy!

Navigation requirements for licence-free boating in Scotland

Navigation on the Caledonian Canal is very easy, most of the time you'll be navigating on wide lakes, but do take care on the lakes in windy conditions. The smaller sections of the canal have 29 locks operated by lock keepers. Please note that life jackets must be worn in the locks. During the summer season, the locks are open from 08:00 to 18:00, they will be closed for one hour for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00. Sheltered moorings are always located close to the wide open waters of Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. The canal also offers a wide range of moorings. Please note that moorings and facilities are subject to a charge, so an additional charge will be made when you book. On your river cruise in Scotland, diesel will not be charged per hour of navigation as in other regions. You will be charged by the litre on the return journey. You will be asked to pay an advance before departure.

 

You can start your licence-free boat cruise on the Caledonian Canal in Laggan. Before starting your cruise, you will receive a short one hour training to learn how to navigate your licence-free boat and to familiarise yourself with the operation of the controls.

1 possible starting point

The smaller sections of the canal have 29 locks operated by lock keepers. There are only about 10 locks on most cruising routes. Life jackets must be worn in the locks.

Opening hours: During the busy summer season, the locks are open from 08:00 to 18:00. The locks are closed for one hour for lunch between 12:00 and 14:00.

Public holidays: no closing days

Navigation is very easy, mostly on large lakes.

However, you should be careful on the lakes in windy conditions.

Moorings and equipment are not free, so you will be charged for your reservation.

The Caledonian Canal - our suggested cruises

Laggan
round trip

Cruise 3 of nights

cruising route Laggan / Foyers / Laggan

66 kms - 14 locks - 12 h of navigation

cruising route Laggan / Fort William / Laggan

58 kms - 22 locks - 12 h of navigation

Laggan
round trip

Cruise 4 of nights

cruising route Laggan / Fort William/Fort Augustus / Laggan

86 kms - 26 locks - 17 h of navigation

cruising route Laggan / Drumnadrochit / Laggan

86 kms - 14 locks - 14 h of navigation

Laggan
round trip

Cruise 7 of nights

cruising route Laggan / Inverness/ForWilliam / Laggan

184 kms - 38 locks - 32 h of navigation

Laggan
round trip

Cruise 14 of nights

cruising route Laggan / Inverness/Fort William / Laggan

184 kms - 38 locks - 32 h of navigation

Here is the list of possible cruises on the Caledonian Canal

Range Standard 2 2
Countess
Countess
-24%

€1,774 €1,354

From €226 / pers

Week of the 5/3/25 to 5/10/25

  • Max. people : 6
  • Cabins : 2
  • Bathroom & Toilet : 2
Two steering positions
220 V converter
220V socket
See this offer
Range Comfort 4 0
Clipper
Clipper
-24%

€2,134 €1,624

From €271 / pers

Week of the 5/3/25 to 5/10/25

  • Max. people : 6
  • Cabins : 2
  • Bathroom & Toilet : 2
Two steering positions
220 V converter
220V socket
Electric toilets
See this offer
Range Comfort 2 2
Caprice
Caprice
-24%

€2,134 €1,624

From €271 / pers

Week of the 5/3/25 to 5/10/25

  • Max. people : 6
  • Cabins : 2
  • Bathroom & Toilet : 2
Two steering positions
220 V converter
Air cooler
Microwave
220V socket
Electric toilets
See this offer
Range Comfort 4 2
Elegance
Elegance
-24%

€2,544 €1,934

From €322 / pers

Week of the 5/3/25 to 5/10/25

  • Max. people : 6
  • Cabins : 3
  • Bathroom & Toilet : 3
Two steering positions
Bow thruster
220 V converter
Air cooler
Microwave
220V socket
Electric toilets
See this offer
Range Comfort 8 0
Magnifique
Magnifique
-24%

€3,314 €2,514

From €251 / pers

Week of the 5/3/25 to 5/10/25

  • Max. people : 10
  • Cabins : 4
  • Bathroom & Toilet : 3
Two steering positions
Bow thruster
220 V converter
Air cooler
Microwave
220V socket
Electric toilets
See this offer
See the current offers

Customer testimonials

Average : 4 étoiles 4/5 (based on 1 opinion)
 
4
Cruise carried out on Aug 28, 2023, CountessCruise : Laggan round trip
"A magical experience."

Travelling with CrisBoat

Crisboat has more than 90% of the French fleet of self drive river boats. Entrust us with your desires and your availabilities and we will shape your holidays on the water. Located in the heart of the Vienne, Crisboat is the leader in self driver river boat rental in France. Discover our team, made up of 6 experts ready to take up the challenge to design the cruise that will meet your expectations.

Who are we?
Customer
Satisfaction: 4,5 / 5
20 years of experience
Wide choice of boats and destinations
Voyager avec Cris Boat

Cris Boat Blog

Les équipements des péniches sans permis

TOP 5 practical equipment for river cruising

Discover the 5 essential pieces of equipment for a successful river cruise, which make navigation easier and more comfortable!
Read more
Croisière fluviale ou Croisière maritime

River cruise or sea cruise?

River cruising or sea cruising? We compare these two experiences to help you choose!
Read more
Croisière fluviale pour événement

How to organise an event on a licence-free houseboat?

Find out all our tips for planning an event on a licence-free houseboat.
Read more
All blog posts

Désolé, ce site internet utilise des fonctionnalités qui ne sont pas compatibles avec votre navigateur internet.
Installez une nouvelle version de Firefox, Chrome, Safari, ou Edge et tout sera OK :).

The Caledonian Canal

Clachnaharry

This former fishing village is now part of the city of Inverness. It is the end point of the Caledonian Canal.

Inverness

Inverness

The town was the centre of battles between the Scots, Highlanders and English, so there are no monuments left from before the 19th century. You can enjoy a magnificent view of Loch Ness and the town from the town's castle.

Drumnadrochit

Drumnadrochit

In Drumnadrochit, you can wander around the village to discover the ancient castle ruins lining the shoreline. You can also visit the Loch Ness Monster Museum to find out all the secrets about the famous monster!

Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus

This small town has all the facilities for a very pleasant stopover. Its name comes from a fort built in the 18th century, but since destroyed.

Invergarry

Invergarry

In Invergarry, you can moor your licence-free boat to discover its magnificent castle. This was a strategic point in the time of the clan wars, it dates from 1602, it was the scene of many battles, today, only ruins remain which were restored in 2009.

Fort William

Fort William

Fort William is the second largest town in the Highlands after Inverness, and is situated at the foot of Ben Navis, the highest peak in the UK at 1,344m. Fort William has been the setting for several films, including the famous Braveheart. At Fort William, you can cross a ladder of 8 locks, 457m long with a 19.5m drop. It takes about 90 minutes to go through them. Designed by engineer Thomas Telford, it was built between 1807 and 1811.

What is included / not included

The price of your charter includes

  • The rental of the boat
  • Fittings: equipment necessary for navigation
  • Crockery: in sufficient quantity for the number of passengers on board
  • Bedding*: sheets, blankets or duvets, pillows and pillow cases
  • Boat insurance
  • Navigation instruction and delivery of the yacht's card
  • Breakdown assistance available 7/7 during the base's opening hours
  • The navigation toll
  • A 13 kg gas bottle

* Beds made up on certain boats in the 5 star range

 

The price of your rental does not include

  • Cancellation insurance
  • Navigation guide
  • One way supplement
  • Deposit redemption insurance
  • The cleaning package
  • Cleaning kits, kitchen linen, towels**.
  • Deposit of 780 € to 3 250 €, depending on the boat
  • The navigation package. This includes all consumables used during your stay (oil, diesel, gas, etc.). Depending on the category of the boat, the package varies from 7 € to 22 € per hour of navigation.

** Included on some boats