What I did on my summer vacation

**Coinneach** · 3rd July 09, 09:21 PM

Awesome photos all of them! Just amazing.

Back to the wheel for just a moment, how long does it take to move a boat from one level to the next?

**pdcorlis** · 3rd July 09, 09:55 PM

Go Steve go!

**The Wizard of BC** · 3rd July 09, 10:08 PM

I didn't put a stop watch on the entire operation but did take note of my watch when the boat started to enter the gondola. By the time I saw the boat exit the top end and start on the way to the tunnel was around 20 min. They advertise that a trip on a boat to go from the lower canal, up in the wheel to the upper aquaduct, sail along the aquaduct to and through the tunnel, and all the way back again takes an hour.

This includes the time for the doors at the ends of the Gondola to open letting the water to stabilize with the level of the canal and the whole operation of doors and water levels again on the other end of the cycle.

If you only count the time for the Wheel to rotate I would estimate less than 5 minutes. You can see it move. It's a smooth and effortless looking operation.

And another amazing thing is the doors at the ends of the gondolas and sealing the canal have no mechanical fastener to lock them closed. It's all just water pressure.

In this photo you can see the doors holding back the canal. To open the doors and allow a boat through you equalize the pressure by moving the Gondola full of water against it and then just fold the door down and away.

Pure genius. And 300 year old genius at that. It's exactly the same principal as the doors of a lock.

**The Wizard of BC** · 3rd July 09, 10:24 PM

We continue South to Selkirk. This is the town that is home to both Lochcarron and D.C. Dalgliesh weaving mills.
I had to visit Dlagliesh to arrange for the special weave of the new Victoria, City of Gardens Tartan that I have designed and to visit Lochcarron and tour the mill.

First Bobbie and I check into our B&B called "The Firs" where we were met with tea in the garden.

Then we took a stroll around the grounds.

On a hill behind The Firs as a flock of Sheep.

Oh, look, there is my next Kilt. that one, right there.

And announcing! The new Model Freedom Kilt! (Drum roll please!!!!)

Some assembly required.
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**The Wizard of BC** · 3rd July 09, 10:52 PM

The next morning we visited the Lochcarron Woolen Mills.

Here is Bobbie drooling over the wonderful offerings in the visitor center.

Here is a changing room to make any Kilty faint with pleasure.

Lochcarron is a huge and modern weaving mill.
This is the yarn storage area.

Pick a color, any color.

The beginning of the weaving process starts with workers placing spools of yarn on these racks.

Then they feed individual yarns in the correct color sequence onto large warp rollers.

they even have one computerized machine that does this with only one person required to run it.

here are warp spools waiting to go onto looms.

Here is a loom all warped up and ready to start weaving.

And it comes out the other side as Tartan.

I saw 18 of these high speed looms in this one room.

**The Wizard of BC** · 3rd July 09, 10:53 PM

And where does all this yarn come from you ask?

The Tartan fabric then goes through about a million other steps before it's ready for a Kilt.

But when it is ready the fabric goes onto these shelves and waits for an X Marker to order his next Kilt.

I'm tired just explaining all this. It's late and I have to work tomorrow. So, until next time, when we find Steve and Bobbie heading even further South, and into the land of the English, I say adieu.
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**dfmacliam** · 4th July 09, 06:36 AM

Thank you so much for this photo tour you made... its pretty interesting seeing the mills put out the tartans... and I bet you found some peace and tranquility, while watching the next kilt...LOL on the hoof...LOL.. I can't wait for the next edition of... your photo journey

**ronstew** · 4th July 09, 07:36 AM

DRRRRROOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!!!

I think that photo literally made me salivate. So much potential.

**KiltedKnome** · 4th July 09, 09:57 AM

I don't think we have a photo of it, but the section of the mill that I found fascinating was the darning shop. All fabric is "person-inspected", weft line by weft line. Any defects are marked with a thread and then later corrected by hand. It takes hours per kilt length. The gentleman who gave us the tour explained that it takes more than four years to train someone to do this to standard. The sad part is, young people are not going into these trades/arts anymore. When the existing staff retire, who knows what will happen.