Marking 200 years, canal now enjoys a quieter revolution

WHEN it opened in 1822, the Union Canal was the transport artery at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.

But now it is home to people who enjoy a quieter way of life, as well as cyclists, paddleboarders and kayakers.

Yesterday a narrowboat was pictured navigating the 86ft-high Avon Aqueduct, which is Scotland’s largest and carries the Union Canal across the River Avon in

West Lothian, ahead of a weekend of festival celebrations to mark the waterway’s 200th anniversary.

A flotilla of boats set out on the canal yesterday, and the celebrations will continue with special events for a year.