Wildlife along the Union Canal

Looking over to the restaurant barge of the Bridge Inn on the Union Canal -

Since 2001, breeding swans have started to return to the canal and, with many cygnets hatched and safely reared, they are bringing the canal to life for the many people who visit and feed them.

The Union Canal, which provides sheltered habitats for endangered species such as otters, water voles and bats, has been identified by nature experts as one of Edinburgh’s most important wildlife havens. A five-year survey of the Forth & Clyde and Union canals’ bat populations is being carried out, with the help of local bat enthusiasts, to identify bat foraging and roosting sites for protection.

In addition, Bennett’s Pondweed - a unique species and a plant of global significance - thrives in the canal.