British Waterways has discovered a failure in a critical bond at the sea lock at Crinan on the western end of Argyll’s Crinan canal. Inspection by divers has confirmed the failure – a badly disintegrating concrete cill. This is, of course, the height of the main tourist season where yachts use the nine mile canal as an important and attractive facility for moving between the Atlantic and the Clyde waterway without making the long and often difficult journey around the Mull of Kintyre. Fishing boats will now have to take the long route round the Mull to Oban, facing heavy additional fuel costs of around £500 a time. Because of the impact on the fishing and yachting industries, British Waterways will make a temporary repair, which will still see the canal closed for around two weeks. They will then move to a permanent repair during the much quieter winter period. Underwater repairs of this kind are complex to effect and their execution also depends upon available divers and weather conditions.

The photograph above is by Velela, of the Lock House at the Crinan Canal Basin, published in Wikipedia and has been placed fully in the pubic domain.