Forth Canoe Club
Encyclopedia
The Forth Canoe Club, founded in 1934, is Scotland
's oldest surviving canoe
club. It is a founding member of the Scottish Canoe Association
.
The club originally met at Granton
in North Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth
. In 1982 it moved to Lochrin
Basin at the Edinburgh
end of the Union Canal
following an extensive dredging operation by the club's second and current commodore Kelso Riddell.
When the Union Canal was developed by British Waterways
as part of the Millennium Link
, Forth Canoe Club lost its buildings there and moved to the Old St Andrew's Boathouse further along the canal in 2004.
The first commodore was Jack Cuthill and the main building of the Club was named after him. When this building was destroyed, the new building at Grandtully
was named in his memory.
The club's motto, means "by wind and by skill".
Forth Canoe Club member David Florence
represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
as a member of the senior team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing he won a silver medal
in the men's C1 single slalom event on 12 August 2008.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's oldest surviving canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
club. It is a founding member of the Scottish Canoe Association
Scottish Canoe Association
The Scottish Canoe Association is the governing body for canoeing and kayaking in Scotland.It covers all branches of the sport from recreational activities to whitewater racing, slalom racing and wildwater racing; flatwater sprint racing and marathon racing; canoe sailing; canoe polo; surf...
.
The club originally met at Granton
Granton
-Places:Australia* Granton, TasmaniaCanada* Granton, Nova ScotiaScotland* Granton, EdinburghUnited States* Granton, Wisconsin...
in North Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. In 1982 it moved to Lochrin
Lochrin
Lochrin is a small area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is in the south-west corner of the city centre, part of the Tollcross area, and beside Fountainbridge. Lochrin contains a wide mixture of retail shops, leisure facilities, other businesses and tenement housing...
Basin at the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
end of the Union Canal
Union Canal (Scotland)
The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...
following an extensive dredging operation by the club's second and current commodore Kelso Riddell.
When the Union Canal was developed by British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
as part of the Millennium Link
Millennium Link
The Millennium Link is one of the biggest engineering projects ever undertaken by British Waterways. The Union Canal and the Forth & Clyde Canal were joined by a flight of locks...
, Forth Canoe Club lost its buildings there and moved to the Old St Andrew's Boathouse further along the canal in 2004.
The first commodore was Jack Cuthill and the main building of the Club was named after him. When this building was destroyed, the new building at Grandtully
Grandtully rapids
Grandtully rapids on the River Tay is a site for canoeing and rafting in Scotland.Grandtully rapids is made of a top fall, the island , and the bottom fall.There is a nearby campsite, a converted train goods yard, owned by the Scottish Canoe Association...
was named in his memory.
The club's motto, means "by wind and by skill".
Forth Canoe Club member David Florence
David Florence
David Florence is a British slalom canoeist. He won a silver medal in the men's slalom C-1 at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.-Early life:...
represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association , and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896...
as a member of the senior team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing he won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the men's C1 single slalom event on 12 August 2008.