Union marina

EXTENSIVE work is planned across the Scottish canal network after the largest capital funding programme by Scottish Government for 20 years.

A total of £13.7 million funding from Scottish Government includes an additional £1 million for dredging across the network and a new weed cutter.

Richard Millar’s highlights are the new lock gates planned for the Crinan and Caledonian canals and the Falkirk Wheel’s recent clean and repainting.

On the Caledonian, which usually sees around 1400 boat transits a year, Corpach jetty at the entrance to the sea lock at the southern end of the Caledonian Canal is undergoing repair. The timber jetty was constructed in 1848, 26 years after the official opening of the Caledonian Canal in 1822.

During the winter, lock gates at Gairlochy, the largest pair of gates on the canal which give access to Loch Lochy, will be replaced and Gairlochy Swing Bridge will undergo maintenance. Other works planned for the Caledonian include dredging at Kytra and Laggan, and the replacement of gates at Cullochy Lock.

On the Union, the focus will be repair of the breach, but work is also planned for the entrance of a new marina at Winchburgh. Plans for the new marina, which will include 20 marina berths and 29 canal moorings, were approved by Historic Environment Scotland in 2019.

As ‘scheduled monuments’ and sites of historic importance, the canals in Scotland require consent from HES prior to any work that requires modification to the existing canals.

The stoppage programme for 2020-21 is published on Scottish Canals’ website and updated with the latest news each month.