The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services – 2007

Seagull Trust Cruises

Free Canal Cruising in Scotland for People with Special Needs

Formerly the Seagull Trust

ã Seagull Trust Cruises
April 2009

Welcome to
 Seagull Trust Cruises

The Seagull Trust was formed in 1978 to provide free canal cruising for disabled people and to help revitalise the decaying Scottish Lowland Waterways. In 1997 Seagull Trust Cruises was formed as a Company Limited by Guarantee to simplify some of the operational functions of the Trust. At the end of October 2007 the Seagull Trust was disbanded leaving the Company to manage the operation of the cruising programme. Initially cruises ran from Ratho on the Union Canal but there are now a total of four branches located in Scotland on the Union, Forth & Clyde and Caledonian Canals.

Cruising takes place on a daily basis, including weekends, during the months of April to October and the duration of the cruise is in accordance with local conditions and the wishes of the user group.

Volunteers crew the purpose built canal boats and all that is asked of our guests is that: they organise their own transport to the Canal, provide their own carers, medical requirements, any special equipment or food they may require, (we provide the tea and coffee), and that they enjoy the experience of calm tranquility cruising the Scottish Canals.

In July 2003 we introduced a residential canal boat, Marion Seagull, into service which allows a family with a disabled member to cruise the Lowland Canals at their own speed over a period of a few days to one week. She is managed by the Falkirk Branch.

Medical opinion confirms that canal cruising is of considerable therapeutic value to disabled people, and this is borne out by the many comments we receive back from our guests.

Details on how to book cruises, or to arrange for a talk about our work, can be found on the individual Branch web sites.

Falkirk         Highland         Kirkintilloch         Ratho

Please click on one of the above links to visit that Branch’s web site.