News

Funding boost for Scotland's canals

3rd Oct 2005

British Waterways has welcomed the announcement of an additional £3million from the Scottish Executive to fund a range of works which will help push forward the continued transformation and revitalisation of the country’s inland waterways.

The new investment, which was announced by Minister for Transport and Telecommunications, Tavish Scott MSP, at British Waterways Scotland’s 6th annual meeting, will be used to fund improvements to customer facilities on both the Highland and Lowland Canals.

Activity will include the completion of lock stabilisation works at Dochgarroch on the Caledonian Canal, with a dredging programme and repairs at Ardrishaig Swing Bridge planned for the Crinan Canal. A comprehensive freight study will be undertaken on the Lowland canals and a number of abandoned sunken vessels are scheduled to be removed from Bowling Basin. Mooring improvements and waterway wall repairs will also be carried out on the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

While addressing British Waterways Scotland’s 6th annual meeting in Edinburgh, Jim Stirling, Director Scotland, highlighted the continued support from the Scottish Executive as a key element in a productive year. The meeting also heard that Scotland’s canals have witnessed a series of improvements and developments over the past twelve months that are helping the newly revitalised 200 year old network add real value to society and deliver real benefits to the people of Scotland.

Participation in leisure, exercise and recreation on the 137-mile (220km) historic canal network has never been greater with more than 15 million visits to Scotland’s inland waterways registered over the past year. A significant increase in boat movements has also been recorded in the same period.

Tony Hales, British Waterways’ new Chairman said: "Scotland’s canals have seen a huge transformation over the past few years and there is no doubt that strong partnership working has been the key to this ongoing revitalisation. I am delighted that the Scottish Executive has shown its continued support, not only through this additional and very welcome funding, but also in its drive to encourage new and innovative initiatives through its involvement in the Scottish Canals Development Group."

The timing of the funding announcement will allow a full works programme to be pre-planned for the winter months. The £3 million additional ad hoc funding comes on top of a base grant from the Scottish Executive of £10.9 million for 2006/07 and £11.4 million for 2007/08.

Commenting on the continuing regeneration effort, Campbell Christie, Vice Chairman of British Waterways and Chairman of the British Waterways Scotland Group said: “There is still much work to be done to realise the full benefits of Scotland’s canal network but if we continue to build our working relationships with the Scottish Executive and with our other partners in the Scottish Canals Development Group, the British Waterways Scotland Group and in other areas, I am confident that we can create a world class resource which will add real value to people living in Scotland.”

The past year has seen a number of developments across Scotland’s inland waterways. On the Caledonian Canal the £20 million lock stabilisation programme – started in 1995 - is now nearing completion with final works scheduled for this coming winter, while on the Crinan, extensive bank stabilisation works have been undertaken and freight traffic through Ardrishaig has increased considerably.

On the Lowlands the £1.2 million Auchinstarry mooring basin is now open and attracting considerable interest from the boating community, while development plans have been unveiled by the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership for a 15 year regeneration programme on the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal between Port Dundas and Maryhill.

Jim Stirling said: "Our strategic priorities are to deliver busier and more vibrant waterways, in particular to ensure that the Lowland canals fulfil their economic and leisure potential now they are restored. Making the most of Scotland’s canals is a long term project and our ambition now is to focus more closely on customer service and delivery to create an expanded, vibrant and largely self sufficient waterway network which will be used by twice as many people in 2012 as it was in 2002."