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SCOTTISH CANALS


bowten

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What is your opinion on the Scottish canal system is it viable for long term cruising and or living aboard.

Some of it is superb. The Caladonian canal is fantastic. However, it may be too strong a word to use the term "canal system" when describing the Scottish canals as little of it is connected together unless you are OK in your boat to go to sea.

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I read somewhere (possibly here) that BW Scotland were looking to setting up some residential moorings and encouraging liveaboards to increase the diversity of boaters on their waterways.

 

Edited to add: remembered it was this consultation document, chapter 5. clicky

Edited by carlt
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I read somewhere (possibly here) that BW Scotland were looking to setting up some residential moorings and encouraging liveaboards to increase the diversity of boaters on their waterways.

 

Edited to add: remembered it was this consultation document, chapter 5. clicky

Allow me

 

http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/property--regeneration/living-on-the-water-

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Compare and contrast, Sally Ash: "We are not a housing authority."

After an initial reading of the article and subsequent comments there seems to be a proactive stance, time and user abuse will no doubt tarnish enthusiasm if not properly managed.

 

Hello Stuart... :cheers:

Hello Martin

 

oops :cheers:

Edited by soldthehouse
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Ilive near lower scottish canals ie bowling (near glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk wheel the canals are not a patch on english canals locks you cannot operate yourself,must book inadvance for lock keepers to be present. service facilities vitually non existent, 1 marina partly developed.live aboard areas 2 possible Kilsyth (near marina) or Ratho nr Edinburgh. Total cruising from one end to other 50 miles ie 4/5 days travelling.

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The Scottish lowland canals are certainly worth a visit - we hired from Falkirk, did the wheel (amazing!) and then across to the basin in Glasgow. The Forth - Clyde canal between those points is remarkably rural and very pleasant considering it is near the "M8 corridor" and very deep. One doesn't need a map however - the distance to run to Glasgow can be determined my the density of emtpy Buckfast bottles floating on the canal! From the secure basin there it is a short walk down to the very centre of Glasgow (and Vroni's Champagne bar), which is a really nice city despite its reputation.

 

However as has been said, it is a pain to have to get BW to work every lock and swingbridge. A rather "its our trainset and we will play with it how we want" attitude. The excuse is that there are no bywashes so in the rainy season (50 wks per year) water can flow over the gates to the extent that the white van's brute force is needed to open the gates. However that is a fairly rare event and for the rest of the time there is no real reason why boaters couldn't operate the locks themselves.

 

There is however a dearth of marinas and residential moorings so I am not sure how easy it would be to find such a mooring, so maybe not best for residential but certainly worth a visit for a holiday.

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From soldthehouse's link :

We are currently working up a bespoke design for the floating structures like some of the images shown below.

 

gallery_6614_493_228388.jpg

 

 

Meanwhile, back in the real world, if you have a mooring, (and, as far as I know, there are always moorings at Grangemouth) there is no problem with mooring elsewhere for up to 14 days at a time, until a more convenient residential one is available. There several folks that do just that.

 

Iain

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  • 2 months later...

Have you ever tried to contact Scottish Canals with an enquiry and been told it all boils down to funds they dont have? Ok try this... compare thhe salary of the Director of Scottish Canals with the Chief Executive of the Police ..this is the salary of somebody who runs a very small part of the canal network (which some boats go up and down when theres no weed) compared to the salary of the person in charge of every police unit in Scotland... are you really satisfied with the original response from Scottish Canals?

 

Oh and while youre on the blower, ask them how many of the Senior Management team have appointed themselves Directors recently

Edited by Barrywhite
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Clicky - this is the new website advertising the new moorings in Edinburgh and Inverness (and soon Glasgow probably). There will probably be more next year in more rural locations.

 

We love the Union and Forth & Clyde canals. We are one of the boats that dot about the different moorings, there are good mooring spots about a half day apart, especially up on the Union canal. Edinburgh/Ratho/Winchburgh/Linithgow/Auchinstarry are our favourite stops. Lots of friendly folks on boats as well :-)

 

I think if our new boating bug continues we'll have to come down to England to wander round the country.

Edited by IainW
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