The Guardians of the Union Canal

On an overcast, but warm Saturday, we arrived at the Linlithgow Union Canal Society (LUCS) at the canal centre, which is located on Manse Road in Linlithgow, Scotland. We wandered up the canal and watched as two American hire boaters were mooring their boat on the towpath, using very handy mooring rings. Passersby stopped to greet them, and one lucky lad was even given a tour of their boat.

The towpath was busier than we had expected it to be and we walked by families and cyclists, all out to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere one can only find on a canal. The Union Canal, known as the last canal built in Britain, is about thirty-one miles long. Paired with the Forth & Clyde Canal, it makes up about half the length of the sixty-six miles that run from Edinburgh in the east to Bowling (about twenty miles west of Glasgow city centre). The two canals were connected by the Millenium Link Project when the Falkirk Wheel opened in 2002.

Saint Michael, one of the newest boats at LUCS, arrived in 2017.

LUCS was founded by the late Mel Gray MBE in 1975 to promote restoration of the Union Canal. It was closed to boat traffic in 1933, just over fifty years since its construction, and officially closed in 1965. The founding members of LUCS knew with some hard work, funding, and community engagement, they could push the project forward and are still going strong today.

Run completely by volunteers, LUCS includes a small museum and a tearoom on site. They also offer a variety of boat trips which run from the Manse Road Basin at various times of the week. The amazing volunteers are responsible for the operation of the trip boats, engage in conservation, staff the museum and tearoom, organise the annual Canal Fun Day every August, and raise funds to keep the operation going. We were lucky to meet one such volunteer on our visit: Ian. He told us all about the canal centre and the various trip boats which are operated from the basin.

Ian, an absolute legend, gave us a tour and told us all about LUCS and their boats. He is among many volunteers which keep the society running.

The flagship, Victoria (seen in the LUCS logo) was purchased in 1978 for £5,000 from Welford on the Grand Union Canal. Later, Saint Magdelene (originally Ohmega) was brought from the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, over 400 miles away. Saint Michael was added in 2017. Together, they make up the three main boats which offer boat trips to the Avon Aqueduct, the Falkirk Wheel, and shorter trips around the area. Victoria is currently getting a refit, which will convert her diesel-powered engine to electric.

Leamington, which is owned by Scottish Canals and plays her role in a partnership with LUCS, is the society’s self-hire boat, which is available for half and full day hire. It was added to the fleet in 2003, shortly after the canal restoration was completed.

Linlithgow has a lot to offer: a buzzing high street, the beautiful St Michael’s Parish Church, and a palace where Mary, Queen of Scots was born in 1542. But even some locals have yet to discover another incredible treasure that stems from the 18^th century Industrial Revolution – the charming Union Canal. If you’re ever in the area, try not to let the pull of the bustling town distract you from the peaceful atmosphere of a bygone highway. Stroll along the quiet towpaths and let your imagination take you back. You never know what kind of legends you’ll meet!