Linlithgow Union Canal Society
Encyclopedia
Waterway society
A Waterway society is a society, association, charitable trust, club, trust or "Friends" group involved in the restoration, preservation, use and enjoyment of waterways, e.g. a canal, river, navigation or other waterway, and their associated buildings and structures, e.g...
and a Scottish registered charity based at Linlithgow Canal Centre on 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:...
at Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Scotland
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...
. Also known as "LUCS", it was founded in 1975 by Melville Gray to "promote and encourage the restoration and use of the Union Canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, particularly in the vicinity of Linlithgow".
Society history
From 1970, Mel Gray had started to clear the towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
with the help of boys from HMYOI Polmont, a Young Offenders Institution. This was followed by the first boaters' Rally at Linlithgow Canal Centre, organised by the Scottish Inland Waterways Association
Scottish Inland Waterways Association
The Scottish Inland Waterways Association was a registered charity and association of canal societies and individual canal enthusiasts in Scotland....
and the Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
in 1972. In 1975 the Society acquired an old dredger from the (then) British Waterways Board, now 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...
Scotland.
In the Seventies and Eighties, other canal societies began to be formed on the Union Canal and the Forth & Clyde Canal, including Edinburgh Canal Society
Edinburgh Canal Society
The Edinburgh Canal Society is a charitable canal society on the Union Canal in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Society's main base is Ashley Terrace Boathouse at Lockhart Bridge, near Harrison Park in the Polwarth area of Edinburgh....
, Forth Canoe Club
Forth Canoe Club
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...
, Bridge 19-40 Canal Society
Bridge 19-40 Canal Society
The Bridge 19-40 Canal Society is a waterway society and a registered Scottish Charity operating community boats on the Union Canal, with bases at Winchburgh and Drumshoreland, West Lothian, Scotland, UK .-History:...
and others. Persistent campaigning resulted in the restoration of the Scottish Lowland canals through 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...
Project of which Linlithgow Union Canal Society was an official Partner. The Link connects the Union and Forth & Clyde canals by way of the unique Falkirk Wheel
Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift located in Scotland, UK,connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, opened in 2002. It is named after the nearby town of Falkirk which is in central Scotland...
boat lift
Boat lift
A boat lift, ship lift, or lift lock is a machine for transporting boats between water at two different elevations, and is an alternative to the canal lock and the canal inclined plane....
.
Linlithgow Union Canal Society hosted a Scottish Inland Waterways Association
Scottish Inland Waterways Association
The Scottish Inland Waterways Association was a registered charity and association of canal societies and individual canal enthusiasts in Scotland....
(SIWA) Rally in 2008, and it participates in the annual Linlithgow Folk Festival.
Mel Gray, the founder, died in March 2006 .
Linlithgow Canal Centre
The Society administers the Linlithgow Canal Centre and operates boat trips, a tearoom and the new Mel Gray Education Centre. Provision for schools includes boat trips to teach children water safetySafety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
and other related topics, and the Education Centre is able to cater for all age groups.
Further boats were purchased in 1987 and 1995 and are taking visitors to Linlithgow or the Avon Aqueduct
Avon Aqueduct
The Avon Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct on the Union Canal near Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is long and high; it is the longest and tallest aqueduct in Scotland, and the second longest in Britain...
; constructed by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, it is the second largest aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
in the UK and the longest in Scotland
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...
. The trip boat "Saint Magdalene" is named after the St. Magdalene Distillery.
The Canal Museum was created in 1977. It had started life as a stable for the boat horses and is now a resource centre for the study of the history of the UK canal system.