Would you like to become a “Friend of Corpach Marina”?
We are always looking for people to join our small and friendly team, to help us organise and run community events, school visits and come and try days.
Experience with boats is not required, just enthusiasm and a desire to help out!
Our mission is to engage with the local community, schools and businesses, to enable everyone to benefit from our great facilities.
Or, if you just want to keep informed of upcoming events. Why not subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about whats going on.
18 April 2023
Our marina was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on one of the warmest days of 2023. In the Highland sunshine invited guests – major funders, volunteer directors of Caol Regeneration Company and Thomas Telford Corpach Marina Ltd, and friends gathered to enjoy the moment on a very special day for everyone who had been involved for almost 10 years.
6 April 2023
The marina construction is very close to completion. Contractors are working hard to finish off everything before we can finally open for our berth holders and visitors. We still have to clear the car park and make ready the slipway for use.
If you have booked a berth in the marina, or are planning a visit to the marina, please contact the Marina Manager, Brian MacKinnon – 07410 884902 – before you arrive at the marina.
14 March
Corpach Marina progressing. 5 of the 8 Breakwaters now in the sea and pontoons being connected up this week and next..
Marina berths filling up but it’s not too late to grab a Berth with a View at Scotland’s newest marina and coffee shop. Everyone working hard for opening early April.
30 January
Coffee shop is open and proving popular.
Pontoons and gangways are in the car park awaiting completion of breakwaters 5-8 which are being produced locally and due to be on the water early March.
Thanks to further funding from The Highland Council we expect to be able to complete the floating marina by the end of March.
We are inviting bookings for remaining berths and we encourage you to book a slipway launch and recovery in advance of your arrival date using our Harba App.
9 January 2023
Happy New Year Sailors !
The marina construction continues at a pace. The huge floating breakwater sections are being manufactured along at the Corpach Boatyard and the gangways, pontoons and fingers arrived in our car park last Friday. We expect contractors to begin the shoreworks to allow access to the marina to begin this week.
An Cafaidh Mara (Cafe of the sea)
Cafe na Mara will be fitting out this month and preparing later in January. Check out their social media: An Cafaidh Mara
Book a berth or slipway use
If you would like to book a berth for a day or a year, or would like to book to launch your boat on our slipway, please check out the pricelist and complete the form. Our marina management app will be available to use quite soon to pay a deposit or the full amount of your booking.
The Highland Council Funding
We are anticipating a favourable funding decision from Councillors on 24 January which will allow us to finally complete all aspects of this amazing community-led project and open the marina to the public on 1st April when we will begin to delivery outstanding community facilities and economic development to the Outdoor Capital of the UK.
Construction progress of Scotland’s newest marina located at the entrance to the Caledonian Canal is going well. We have just launched our berthing pricesfor 2023 along with our Terms & Conditions. We expect the marina to be handed over to us in January 2023. Watch this site for new photos as the project moves towards ultimate completion.
Since September our marina manager has been busy developing our online marina booking app and will be answering all your enquiries about this exciting community-led marina and slipway facility on Loch Linnhe, Fort William – the undisputed Outdoor Capital of the UK
Our website and social media will now be updated very regularly to reflect our preparations to welcome you to Thomas Telford Corpach Marina in 2023.
An Cafaidh mara
Our new coffee shop opens in February 2023 with a tempting menu of hot snacks, salads, soups, hot and cold drinks. An Cafaidh mara is a brand new business opportunity for Fort William businessman Robert Coull who is looking forward to welcome locals and visitors to try the best coffee in town. Check out his FB page for latest news
September 2022
Work is progressing with the marina construction and work continues around the building and car park. Our Marina Manager, Brian MacKinnon has been getting involved with lots of tasks the Board is working on in preparation of opening for the season on 5 April 2023.
In October, we plan to email everyone who has expressed an interest in a berth and provide the opportunity for boat owners to confirm their wish to secure a berth in 2023. Our Terms and Conditions for berth holders and slipway users will be published on our website at the end of September.
July 2022
We have now recruited a Marina Manager who will start work on 1 August. We are also in the process of appointing a Franchisee to operate the coffee shop.
The marina facilities building is very near completion and the car park entrance and pavement have been tarred. Stills lots of jobs to complete but we are progressing. Slipway may be available for use sometime in August and we expect the floating marina to be handed over in November. Look out for some photos soon !
The project is experiencing issues with the supply of materials which is slowing the contract.
12 May 2022
We are recruiting !
We are now looking for the right persons to manage the Marina when it opens in October. All going well, the slipway,car park and marina facilities building with showers, toilets and laundry will be available from August. If you are flexible, multi-talented and would enjoy welcoming visitors to the marina, please download our Marina Manager’s Job Description document (no longer available) and get in touch with our Secretary if you think you could be the right persons.
10 March 2022
Directors of Caol Regeneration Company together with the Production Director of Gael Force Group signed a £1m contract to begin the construction of the floating marina infrastructure. This is a huge day in the life of this community led project to deliver significant marine tourism facilities and local amenities to Corpach, Fort William and Loch Linnhe. Work will start immediately.
This website will be updated with regular progress reports. We will publish details about berthing and slipway rates, opening dates and lots more – as soon as we can. Read our Press Release here.
7 March 2022
Lochaber Highland Councillors award CRC £100,000 from the Highland Coastal Communities Fund. This capital will allow our community project directors to complete the car park and marina facilities building.
December 2021
The Directors of Caol Regeneration Company Ltd and Thomas Telford Corpach Marina Ltd are delighted with the announcement from the Scottish Government just before Christmas, that we have been awarded a further £400,000 towards the cost of constructing the floating marina at the entrance of the Caledonian Canal.
We will be meeting with Gaelforce Marine Ltd in early January to discuss the award of the contract so they can begin manufacture of the floating breakwaters at their boatyard in Corpach.
It’s fantastic that local people will be involved in the construction and commissioning of the 45 berth marina.
It is not possible to say at the moment when exactly the marina will be open for business, or when we can formally offer berths to boat-owners to secure a pontoon space, but rest assured we will be working towards opening as soon as possible in 2022. We want to thank everyone involved who helped to make this happen.
Watch this space for further news in January.
November 2021
We have been working very hard to secure the final funding to allow us to begin construction of the floating marina and finish off the facilities building, coffee shop and car park.
Our aspiration is to open Scotland’s newest marina in April 2022 and celebrate the opening of the Caledonian Canal 200 years ago.
We are very optimistic about hearing some welcome news by the end of November – watch this space.
July 2021
Funding Summit Meeting 2 July
A Funding Summit Meeting was held with representatives of The Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Crown Estate Scotland, our MSP Kate Forbes and directors of Thomas Telford Corpach Marina.
The purpose of the meeting was to update all organisations with a key interest in seeing the marina opening in April 2022, the 200th anniversary of the opening of The Caledonian Canal. All delegates who attended this meeting are now fully aware that the contract for the marina construction needs to be in place by the end of September 2021 to fulfil this objective. There is now a collective recognition that a partnership of all organisations must work towards the successful completion of this £3.5m community led project.
Corpach Marina is designed to deliver community and economic benefit by Awakening the Giant – the Scottish Government’s recognition that marine tourism is a key contributor to the Scottish economy.
There are now 66 boat owners interested in a berth in Thomas Telford Corpach Marina
Marina Facilities Building and car park
The Marina Facilities Building is nearing completion and it is expected owners Caol Regeneration Company, will take over the building in early August. Work continues on the car park with the installation of an automated barrier imminent. Tarmac surfacing is expected to begin soon on the pedestrian pavement, the bell-mouth of the car park and the accessible car parking spaces in front of the building entrance. There have been several delays, including our contractor GCF waiting for agreement from Scottish Canals to repair their two-story building foundations.
An Cala Coffee Shop
A decision to open the coffee shop in August is also imminent.
April 2021
The marina facilities building is progressing well and our contractors should be off site by mid June. The Directors of CRC and TTCM are discussing options for opening the slipway and coffee shop to members of the public in June or July, subject to completion of our Planning Permission and commercial viability.
Where’s the marina ?
There is no funding in place to get the floating marina contract started and this is the entire purpose of the project – to deliver community and economic benefit with a brand new 40 berth marina.
Announcements will be made during June so watch this space.
22 February 2021
Marina Facilities Building and coffee shop progressing well. Photo opposite shows marina car park and slipway and new building taking shape behind the existing two-storey Scottish Canals building.
For full details read our latest Press Release.
Thomas Telford Corpach Marina now has a waiting list of 55 boat owners interested in a marina berth in Fort William.
December 2020
After a number of delays to commencement of works at the beginning the year, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, we are delighted to be able to end the year by announcing completion of phase 1 of the project.
Phase 1 Civil Engineering and Marine works was due to start on site in early Spring but were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, eventually getting underway in July. The car park and slipway are now complete, the works included:
Diverting the existing burn through a 100m long culvert,
Dredging the basin for the new marina, and
Reclaiming land using the dredged material placed behind rock armour shore protection.
Phase 2 is the construction of the new marina facilities building which started on site last week. The contract was awarded to local contractor, GCF Joiners & Contractors, and is due to be completed in Spring 2021.
We are still working to close the funding gap for Phase 3, the construction of the breakwaters, pontoons and linkspan, having submitted an expression of interest in the Highland Coastal Communities fund and are currently investigating other potential funding sources.
Looking forward we are excited about the local community seeing the benefits of this fantastic facility which will include:
• Collaboration with WHC UHI; Supporting students on the Adventure Tourism courses.
• 14 FTE Creation of new jobs both directly (marina and café) and indirectly as well as the social enterprise elements of the project which we hope will provide much needed vocational training and supported employment for people in the area.
• Increasing overnight visitor stays to the area leading to stimulating development and further investment
• Encouraging healthy lifestyles, by offering access to the water, outdoor marine based sports, recreation and activities, with 3 primary schools within walking distance
• Creating a focal point for the community (no café/coffee shop in Corpach), encouraging more walking and cycling by providing a destination to visit.
As we enter 2021, we look forward to welcoming you to the Thomas Telford Corpach Marina this year!
8 August
George Leslie Ltd making great progress on Thomas Telford Corpach Marina. Starting to form the slipway and more precast units now in place. Dredging barge scheduled to be in place next week.
Aerial Photo: DigitalStudio, Fort William, 8 Aug, 2020
July 27th
Kate Forbes MSP, Finance Secretary, visits Fort William’s marina under construction at the entrance to the Caledonian Canal.
Kate Forbes joined directors of Caol Regeneration Company, Cllr Ben Thomson and contractors to take a look at progress on the marina at Corpach. The contractor is currently installing the concrete culvert into the site. The car park will be built on top of this huge drainage container.
With final funding in place by the end of September the marina could be open for business in April 2021. Photo: Iain Ferguson
July 2020
AT LAST !
George Leslie Ltd gets started on Phase 1 of the marina project.
Work began on the Thomas Telford Corpach Marina as June came to an end, and a new and exciting civil engineering project got off the ground after extensive delays and set-backs – including COVID-19.
Directors of CRC, Thomas Telford Corpach Marina Ltd, and project consultants NorthernLight Ltd are delighted to see machines and men on the beach at Corpach preparing the ground for a new car park and slipway as Phase 1 begins. The photo opposite was taken just after low-water on Thursday 9 July.
Watch this space as the project progresses along its 19 week schedule of works.
May 2020
Just as we were excited about getting the project started Corona Virus impacted on the UK. We expect that as soon as the lockdown is relaxed, and construction in the UK can restart, our contractor will get mobilised in June. Our schedule is that Phase 1 and 2 will be completed by December 2020 or early 2021.
February 2020
After a very long 2019, Caol Regeneration Company are delighted to announce the award of a £1.48M contract to George Leslie Ltd for the construction of Phase 1 of Thomas Telford Corpach Marina on Loch Linnhe, Fort William.
Download our Press Release for full details.
July 2019 Marina Facilities Building
Thomas Telford Corpach Marina (CRC) completed a new Planning Application with Highland Council on Friday 26 July 2019, for a new marina facilities building which will provide showers, toilets, laundry and marina reception/coffee shop. Details about the new building, which will be wholly owned by Caol Regeneration Company, can be found at Highland.gov.uk
Thomas Telford Corpach Marina has recently concluded a two year £50,000 programme to retain project managers Northern Light Consultancy Ltd. The main funder was EU LEADER, with match funding supplied by HIE, Highland Council, Scottish Canals and Crown Estates Scotland. The main aims of the commission were to raise the necessary capital to build the marina, to manage procurement of contractors and to then monitor contract delivery. These aims were not fully completed due to substantial challenges in securing public and charitable funds at a time of austerity, and because of some wholly unforeseeable external delays in the development. However the work was carried out to a highly professional standard and the project now stands on the brink of delivery. More details can be found in the attached report document.
May 2019
Since January 2019 we have experienced a totally unforeseen delay in our project and have had to make changes to our plans. We are optimistic that work on the car park, dredging and slipway will now begin in July. As a result we do not expect to open the marina until March/April 2020 to celebrate the Year of the Sea.
September 2018 Project out to tender to interested contractors. Funding applications continuing.
June 2018 SSE awards Thomas Telford Corpach Marina £100,000 from its Highland Sustainable Development fund.
Several other grant funds are in the pipeline and we expect to have these confirmed as the summer progresses. Procurement work is underway and interested contractors with experience in this type of civil engineering are being invited to tender.
South West Environmental (ENTRUST Scottish Landfill Comm Trust Fund) awards Thomas Telford Corpach Marina £10,000
March 2018
Project managers NorthernLight hard work pays off ! Thomas Telford Corpach Marina awarded £1,465,000 towards cost of building marina project with a Scottish Government Regeneration Fund grant
Sail Scotland Marine Tourism Conference comes to Fort William – 13 March.
February 2018
Our project managers NorthernLight, continue their work with several funding applications in hand. We expect to hear about the Scottish Government Regeneration Fund application before the end of February.
January 2018 Marine Scotland have provided Thomas Telford Corpach Marina with the necessary marine licenses for the construction of the floating breakwater and pontoons of the marina and the necessary dredging work.
December 2017 Through collaboration with West Highland College UHI, a student has been given the opportunity to undertake a work placement with the team at Northern Light Consulting. Euan Fundingsland, a second-year Marine and Coastal Tourism Student (BAHons), will be contributing to the Corpach Marina Project from December 2017 to April 2018. This opportunity will provide the student with valuable commercial experience in the industry relevant to the marine tourism sector, whilst providing the team with a new perspective on the project. This will trigger a supply of future students wishing to either gain experience through work placement or paid employment once the marina project has been completed.
“It’s really important to us that students get real life experience in the sector, as well as classroom input. This collaboration is a fantastic opportunity. Well done Euan for getting fully involved” Alex Williams, Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Marine and Coastal Tourism, West Highland College UHI
September 2017 Thomas Telford Corpach Marina is actively working towards funding the project through various Government funding agencies. In October we successfully passed onto Stage 2 for the Scottish Government Regeneration Grant Funding.
September 2017 – Marine Scotland License application Thomas Telford Corpach Marina is working through the process of gaining a license to put the marina into the sea.
17 May 2017 – Planning Permission granted The Highland Council have granted Thomas Telford Corpach Marina Planning Permission for the construction of a car park and slipway, and refurbishment of existing Caledonian Canal buildings to provide marina facilities for local and visiting yachts and motor vessels. Full details about Planning Permission can be found here:
Marine Scotland Licence application
The process to obtain a Marine Scotland licence for the construction of the pontoons and breakwater of the actual sea-based marina began a number of weeks ago and this will be progressing over the next 14 weeks. There will be further public consultations of the plans.
Northern Light – Project Managers
Local company Northern Light, were awarded a contract by Caol Regeneration Company – Thomas Telford Corpach Marina in February to start the process of identifying sources of public funding from organisations such as The Big Lottery Fund etc. Northern Light will also be involved in the tendering process for construction contractors as the project moves forward.
30 January 2017
With funding from Leader a Scottish company Northern Light have been awarded a contract as Project Managers to lead on funding applications, to procure contractors to deliver the project and to oversee the delivery of all contracts within budget and on time. This contract commences on 1 February 2017. You can view our current marina layout here.
Planning Application process is nearing completion and we expect to announce an outcome soon.
18 October 2016 Planning Application was lodged by our consulting engineers with The Highland Council on 17 October and should be available for public viewing in due course. Since the last update we have been consulting with more local residents and businesses in the Corpach area to discuss our plans.
The steering Group met with Caol Community Council at their meeting on the evening of 17 October.
6 October 2016 Public Consultation in connection with a Marine Licence application to Marine Scotland.
There will be a public consultation in Killmallie Community Centre between 3.30 – and 6.30pm. Members of the public and any organisations interested are welcome to drop in at any time during the period outlined above.
Update September 2016
The project continues to progress and we are now about to submit Planning Application to The Highland Council. Our designs and concepts have been modified to reduce dredging requirements and to reduce the size of the car park. The marina pontoons are now planned to be located further west and will be accessed by secured gangway from the car park. Detailed drawings of the rejuvenation of Scottish Canal buildings have been prepared showing a new reception, new office and mess for Scottish Canal staff, new toilets and shower facilities, a reception with small cafe and shop. The slipway into Loch Linnhe has been carefully considered for all weather access into the sea.
Brief Update on Thomas Telford Corpach Marina, February 2016
Preparatory work for the Corpach Marina project has been given a boost in the last month or so with confirmation of a £40,000 funding package; the project group are grateful to HIE, the Highland Council, Scottish Canals and The Crown Estate for providing this finance and continuing their commitment to our goals. We are now in a position to press ahead with applications for a Marine Scotland licence and planning consent, and have retained Arch Henderson, consulting engineers, to assist us in this task.
During the winter, we have worked closely with Gael Force Engineering, a successful Highland company, to further shape our layout plans for the marina. Scottish Canals have also been actively involved in this process. The revised designs will take account of hydrographic and topographic surveys conducted last year, which demonstrated the need to move the floating infrastructure into deeper water. We have also received very helpful feedback from the Kilmallie Community Council and others which we are working to reflect in the new design, for example the scale of the project is likely to be smaller, with around 60 berths instead of 80. The slipway will remain a key feature. It is our intention to consult widely on this final scheme in the very near future. The marina committee continues to meet monthly and to press ahead enthusiastically with the project.
October 2015
Thomas Telford Corpach Marina meets with Gael Force Engineering (Highland manufacturer of proven marina systems) who are reviewing the marina design based on our recent engineering surveys. A new layout taking into consideration all issues, especially the views of Scottish Canals, will be available for wider consultation by end of November
Committee members have met with key funders in advance of the next phase of preparatory works
Thomas Telford Corpach Marina are consulting with local businesses. Reactions so far have been positive, here is one example:
Corpach Boat Building Company “There is no doubt that a marina by the Corpach Canal basin would be good for the local community, good for local boat users, and good for visiting yachts.
Over the 20 years plus that we have been in business in Corpach, we have seen an increasing number of yachts visiting from Scandinavia and the continent on their way to or from the west coast. A marina would encourage more yachts to stay and visit Corpach and Fort William and use the facility for crew changes enabling visitors to join or leave a vessel in Corpach.
For a number of years we have been attending yachts in the canal who are on transit and have encountered mechanical problems. A marina would potentially increase this level of business and enable us to offer a dedicated service to leisure boat users visiting or resident in Lochaber.
Corpach Boatbuilding Company fully support the development of a marina facility in Corpach. Don Hind, Managing Director
September 2015
Funding requests We are submitting requests to a number of bodies, including HIE, for additional funding to take the project to a pre-construction fully consented stage. This is an essential prerequisite to the capital funding applications for a design and build contract.
Hydrography and topography reports These have now been completed and the results have been assessed by our consulting engineers. Initial indications are that the original concept design, as set out in the 2011 Yachting Worldwide study, would mean very extensive rock and silt removal/dredging – at a cost likely to far exceed the original budget. In order to mitigate this, we are examining with Scottish Canals and Gael Force Marine whether the marina design can be altered with a move further out from the shore, possibly with a reduced number of berths. Pending the outcome of this critical work, our applications for Planning Consent and a Marine Scotland licence have been put on hold.
LEADER
A meeting has recently taken place with the LEADER project manager, Martin Culbertson, and we are clear on the timescales and approach for a funding application to support project management services. This process will begin next month with an Expression of Interest, and we are hopeful that an approval might be forthcoming by the late Spring of next year.
Fort William Marina & Shoreline Association A meeting was had with the promoters of the Fort William Marina & Shoreline Association, who are focussed initially on the creation of a cruise-liner berthing facility in the vicinity of the West End car park, though with wider long term aims. Both organisations agreed that our projects were complementary and non-competitive to each other. Our joint statement is as follows:
“Thomas Telford Corpach Marina group and the Fort William Marina & Shoreline Association met on 3rd September to review their proposals for marine tourism in the area. Corpach Marina is focussed on providing a public access slipway and attractive marina in Corpach. The FWMSA is focussed on providing safe facilities for cruise ship companies to gain better access to the shore and to the amenities of Fort William and the surrounding area. Both projects fit very well with the recently published Marine Tourism Strategy for Scotland. We have seen the strengths of our respective projects and are agreed that they are complementary projects. We are clear that we will focus on our own objectives, but our united aim is to develop facilities for visitors to the Fort William and Lochaber area, and for the whole community to enjoy and benefit from.”
August 2015
Westminster and Scottish Parliament MPs
We had a very positive meeting with Dave Thompson MSP and Ian Blackford MP, to inform them of our proposals and to seek their support as we move forward. In addition, we continue to ensure that the project is represented at the important Marine Tourism cross-party group, which meets quarterly at the Scottish Parliament under the chairmanship of Stuart McMillan MSP. This committee is the sponsor of the recently published Marine Tourism Strategy for Scotland, with which our project is an excellent fit.
July 2015 During the summer, tenders were sought and contracts let to firms specialising in engineering surveys. This work included mapping the hydrography and topography of the seabed and foreshore in the target area.
Earlier achievements in 2015
Signing a local management agreement (LMA) with Crown Estates, governing rights to the necessary seabed area for the next 5 years
Agreeing heads of terms on 50-year leases with the three landowners involved
Consulting widely with local community councils, the Highland Council, and potential partners in the project such as HIE, Scottish Canals, the Crown Estates, VisitScotland, Lochaber Chamber, etc
Forming a not for profit company, limited by guarantee, which will be activated when the project is commissioned
Commissioning consulting engineers to advise on the required technical approach
Publishing a website to ensure that up to date information on the project is publicly accessible
