Ivy Cottage, Laggan Locks, Caledonian Canal

Ivy Cottage is an early 19th-century lock keeper's cottage situated on the north-west bank of the Caledonian Canal, adjacent to Laggan Locks which were completed in 1821. It is likely the earliest lock keeper's cottage associated with the locks.

The cottage is a single-storey building with a three-bay symmetrical plan and a gabled timber porch to the centre. It is harled with painted margins and has a pitched slate roof with end chimney stacks. Windows are predominantly three-pane glazing in timber frames. A lean-to extends from the north gable, and an enlarged outshot has been added to the rear elevation, alterations typical of lock keeper's cottages of this period as living standards improved.

The building remains largely unaltered to its principal elevation and roofline, and forms part of a good group of buildings around Laggan Locks, which also includes a pair of mid-19th-century lock keeper's cottages.

Lock keeper's cottages were constructed adjacent to the locks for operational convenience. They were typically single-storey with a living room and bedroom, often set in gardens used for growing vegetables and keeping poultry and animals.

Laggan Locks forms part of the section of the Caledonian Canal joining Loch Lochy to Loch Oich, the highest point of the canal at 106 feet above sea level. The entire Caledonian Canal is a Scheduled Monument of national importance to Scotland. Built by engineer Thomas Telford and completed in 1822, the canal was designed to accommodate sea-going ships, including Royal Navy frigates. It connects Inverness to Corpach near Fort William across 60 miles, linking four lochs through man-made sections totalling 22 miles. Though never a commercial success, it became popular with passenger steamers and tourist traffic, particularly following Queen Victoria's visit in 1873.