Seagull Trust Cruises - Canal Opening

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services – 2007

ã Seagull Trust Cruises
March, 10


	Seagull Trust Cruises

		Royal Patron H R H The Princess Royal

		Free Canal Cruising in Scotland for People with Special Needs



	Formerly the Seagull Trust


	*Canal Opening*




	Closed : 1st. January 1963 Reopened: 26th. May 2001

Saturday the 26th May 2001 saw the reopening of the Forth & Clyde Canal after the completion of all the work carried out by British Waterways, their partners and contractors to re-establish the Canal link from the River Forth in the East to the River Clyde in the West.

Once more vessels will be able to sail across the central belt of Scotland from the North Sea to The Atlantic Ocean, and vice versa, with the reopening of the oldest and most historic of the Scottish Canals.

The Grand Opening was celebrated by a flotilla of 40 vessels of all types and from all over the UK transiting the Canal from the sea lock on the River Carron near Grangemouth in the East to the sea lock at Bowling in the West.






	“White Wing” a traditional Scottish fishing boat waiting to enter Lock 16 and take her place in the flotilla.


	On a lovely sunny and warm May day thousands of local people turned up at Lock 16, outside the famous Union Inn (also known as Auntie Kate’s) to watch the opening ceremony of the regenerated canal. The ceremony was performed by a symbolic fish, seen here approaching the ribbon to cut it with it’s teeth, before it led the flotilla of boats on the three day journey from the East to the West.


	The flotilla prepares to set off from Lock 16 towards the Saturday night halt at the Auchinstarry Basin near Kilsyth.

The Forth & Clyde Canal is famous for being the place where Puffers were built. Puffers were the mainstay of coastal shipping in the first half of the twentieth century and were frequently to be seen transiting the Canal from coast to coast. They were, however, mainly to be found tramping from Glasgow to the Hebridean Islands carrying anything and everything needed to live in the outlying rural communities of Scotland.
This puffer, the “Wee Spark” is a one third replica of the original puffer. Unfortunately the modern requirement for fixed bridges that have had to be built over the Canal does not give a full size puffer the room to transit the Canal today.




	A small canal dayboat passing under the bridge that leads to Lock 16 in Camelon.




	A view up the canal from the foot bridge at Lock 14.

The opening of the Forth & Clyde Canal was the first part of the Millennium Link that reopen the Lowland Canal routes from Edinburgh to Glasgow and which will be joined at the Falkirk Wheel.

The Union Canal which runs from Edinburgh to Falkirk, and the Falkirk Wheel were opened by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations, on the 24th May 2002.

Please link to other pages in this site to read about the history of these canals and the progress of the Millennium Link.


		Scottish Charity Number SC027163. Incorporated in Scotland as a Company Limited by Guarantee. Company Number SC179736 Registered Office: 19 Dean Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1NL

	For further information on Seagull Trust Cruises please E-mail us at seagulltrust@btinternet.com