Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
47
Union Canal
Distance
56km from Edinburgh to the Forth & Clyde Canal
Highlights
Edinburgh Quay and Leamington Lift Bridge
Slateford Aqueduct Water of Leith Centre
National Rock Climbing Centre
Almond Aqueduct and dinosaur footprint
Linlithgow Palace and canal centre
Falkirk Tunnel under Glen Village
Falkirk Wheel
Navigation Authority
Scottish Canals
Canal Society
Bridge 19-40 Canal Society
OS 1:50,000 Sheets
65 Falkirk & Linlithgow
66 Edinburgh
The Forth & Clyde Canal was constructed to bring coal to Edinburgh from coalfields to the
west and to allow craft to operate from Glasgow to the Forth and thence to Edinburgh. Its
problem was that boats using the Firth of Forth had to be seaworthy and narrowboats were
not. Thus, goods had to be transhipped from narrowboats to sailing boats. To get round the
problem, the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal was constructed in 1818-1822, linking the
Forth & Clyde Canal directly with Edinburgh so that narrowboats could be used for the whole
journey. With assistance from Telford, Baird engineered the whole canal east of Falkirk to be
on one level. Swift boats were introduced in 1836 to fight back against railway competition,
