When anyone mentions a canal or riverboat holiday, Scotland might not be the first destination that springs to mind. However there are some hidden gems in the Scottish waterways and equally spectacular scenery.
There are four main leisure canals in Scotland – The Caledonian Canal, Crinan Canal, The Forth & Clyde Canal and The Union Canal.
Caledonian Canal:
The majestic Caledonian Canal is 60 miles long (around 96km) of which 22 miles (35km) is man made. The canal stretches from Inverness in the east to Fort William on the west of Scotland and was originally built as a safe transport route during the Napoleonic wars.
The route was never actually used for this, but today the canal is popular with tourists with both holiday barges and yachts as it passes through the spectacular countryside of Central Scotland.
Crinan Canal:
Completed in in 1801, the Crinan Canal was designed as an alternative to voyaging around the Mull of Kintyre as it meanders through Kilmartin Glen, an area rich in history and Scottish wildlife.
The Forth & Clyde Canal:
The Forth & Clyde is one of the two major lowland Scottish canal systems and possibly the oldest anywhere in Scotland. Construction on the canal began in 1768, but the full length wasn’t completed until 1790.
The entire canal underwent a massive renovation in 2001 as part of the £78 million Millennium Link project, including obstructions, dredging, renovation of old locks, repairing banks and restoring towpaths.
Today the Forth & Clyde offers holiday makers an easy way to navigate from the west coast to the east coast through tranquil lowland Scottish countryside.
The Union Canal:
Opened around 30 years after the Forth & Clyde, the Union Canal was originally designed to take coal from Falkirk to Edinburgh for the newly emerging industries.
As part of the Millennium Link project, the Union Canal was also significantly renovated and updated and today once more runs the 31.5 miles from Edinburgh to Falkirk where it links with the Forth & Clyde Canal via the unique Falkirk Wheel.
If you would like to explore the canal holiday options in Scotland, Hoseasons offer several options on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canal’s – click here for details.
Useful resources:
Things to do around Central Scotland
Hotel accommodation in Central Scotland
Holiday cottages in Scotland
Boating Holidays in the UK
One Comment
Very interesting. I am also staying in Scotland but I came to know about these canals from you. Thanks for sharing this information and for making others to aware about these canals.
Mellisa