Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Neptune's Staircase

Neptune's Staircase

The longest staircase lock in Britain.

Banavie, Scotland

Added By
katielou106
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
An aerial view of Neptune’s Staircase.   aeroid / CC BY-SA 3.0
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Looking down Neptune’s Staircase.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Mountains from the top of the staircase .   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
A canal boat at the top of Neptune’s Staircase.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
A boat being raised.   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
Looking up the staircase.   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Neptune's Staircase is composed of eight locks and is located on a stretch of the Caledonian Canal overlooked by an impressive range of mountains, including Ben Nevis. 

A staircase lock is when two or more adjacent locks have the upper gate of one lock also serving as the lower gate of the next lock. Due to this design, once one boat has entered the staircase it has committed to going through all the locks. The structure was built between 1803 and 1822 by Thomas Telford. The project was also designed to provide jobs to residents of the Highlands.

Each of the current lock gates weighs 22 tons. A team of at least three lock-keepers is needed to operate the staircase. The staircase usually operates on an efficient basis.

The system was originally hand-powered but has been converted to hydraulic power. In the past, the locks were operated by capstans, each with four poles that made seven full revolutions to open and close each gate. Each gate was operated by two capstans, one to open and another to close. Transit times through the staircase have been reduced from just over half a day to 90 minutes with the conversion to hydraulic rams and push-button controls.

Visitors can still see the plinths where the original capstans were anchored, but the capstans themselves have been removed.

Related Tags

Canals Stairs Engineering Architecture Water Boats

Know Before You Go

Near Neptune's Staircase are the former lock-keepers houses. These houses were built to provide housing for up to 30 workmen during the construction process and then after it was finished, provided a residence for the team of lock-keepers needed to keep the staircase operational.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

katielou106

Edited By

rbenn250, Michelle Cassidy, Julius Spada

  • rbenn250
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Julius Spada

Published

September 21, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Neptune's Staircase
3 Seanivan
Banavie, Scotland, PH33 7LY
United Kingdom
56.846058, -5.095239
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Big Red Bottle Boat

Fort William, Scotland

miles away

Ben Nevis

Highland, Scotland

miles away

Massacre of Glencoe Monument

Glencoe, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 739
Stories 49

Nearby Places

Big Red Bottle Boat

Fort William, Scotland

miles away

Ben Nevis

Highland, Scotland

miles away

Massacre of Glencoe Monument

Glencoe, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 739
Stories 49

Related Places

  • The Anderton Boat Lift

    Anderton, England

    Anderton Boat Lift

    The world’s oldest boat lift is also known in the United Kingdom as the "Cathedral of the Canals" and one of the "Seven Wonders of the Waterways."

  • Rowde, England

    Caen Hill Locks

    This section of the Kennet and Avon Canal has been designated the same level of heritage protection as Stonehenge.

  • The High Bridge and Glory Hole.

    Lincoln, England

    High Bridge

    The oldest of the three remaining bridges in England with buildings on top of them.

  • Falkirk Wheel

    Falkirk, Scotland

    Falkirk Wheel

    Old-fashioned knowledge and modern engineering create the world's only rotating boatlift.

  • Bonneville Dam

    North Bonneville, Washington

    Bonneville Lock & Dam

    Boats and fish both find their way through this massive hydroelectric structure.

  • Sheffield, England

    The Industry Looping Boat

    Floating on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal is a contorted canal boat that honors the waterway’s heritage.

  • Zaragoza, Spain

    Fountain of the Unbelievers

    The engineer of the Imperial Canal of Aragon installed this fountain to show skeptics he had achieved his aim.

  • View at the top of the Locks, Lake Superior.

    Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

    Sault Canal Locks

    Beautiful scenery, history, science, and physics come together in this remnant of shipping lore.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.