Neptune's Staircase is the spectacular eight-lock flight that raises the Caledonian Canal nineteen metres in less than a quarter of a mile, at the western end of the canal where it meets Loch Linnhe at Banavie. Designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1822, the staircase is the longest staircase lock in Britain and remains in regular use by yachts and fishing boats heading between the east and west coasts.
The footpath beside the locks is a pleasant short walk, especially when a boat is working through — a process that takes about ninety minutes. The road and railway both cross the canal here on swing bridges that have to open for traffic; the timings, posted at the locks, are part of a slow daily rhythm.