CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

Canals from Glasgow to Edinburgh and their educational uses

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  1. gembo
    Member

    I cycled from Spiers Wharf in Glasgow to Ratho Climbing Centre on the Forth and Clyde, then Union Canals. Came off at Wynchburgh to try to avoid the motorbikes but they got me at Broxburn.

    As I knew, the puddles from Possil March Nature Reserve until just before Falkirk were atrocious. before Twechar there is a gate that if anyone does this trip in all but high summer they should lift their bike over and use the quiet road that will take you all the way to Twechar where you can re-join. Highlights for me - pigeon loft at Maryhill, Nolly Brig [purely personal nostalgia], Cadder Kirk, Craft Daft on a Raft [after Cadder], the amazing schools and college either side of the canal at Kirkintilloch and the connecting bridge, bagpipes at Wyndford [western half Wyndford - many names repeated across the 60 miles], the Falkirk Wheel [only takes 8 kettles worth of power to work it did you know?] three deer beyond the Falkirk Wheel. Niddry Castle [note - West :Lothian Niddry] in the gloom. Even the outdoor drinkers of Possil and the broxburn boy racers were all well behaved.

    THe eastern half was significantly more dry, both in terms of waterlogging and replies to my cheery bonhomie [or irritating friendliness]. THere were more cyclists in the East. Both of these could be due to weather being very wet in Glasgow [it did follow me across but the downpour we experienced Sunday 02.10.11 was in Glasgow 01.10.11 big style]].

    I see the canal/s being used in schools and it could be used more - flora, fauna, economic and social history, geography, architecture, class war, Burke & HAre, engineering, fun.

    I did the route on my 3 spd upright It took one hell of a beating. It is not a route for drop handled bikes with skinny tyres [the only one of these that I saw had a puncture, well I saw one other at Falkirk Wheel - EBC tourer but it was suspiciously clean and went back on the road]. Many detours as I am convinced there is a more efficient route from the Canal beyond Linlithgow coming east to Balerno [but maybe no way of avoiding the hill at the end]. 6 hours tops. But on a dry day with wind behind, and fewer detours could be done in 5 hours. There are many gates and bridges but also many long flat stretches. The width of the path varies, on the whole wider in the east. Two good tunnels, three good aqueducts [if you count Longstone].

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. splitshift
    Member

    lithgae to balerno, agree, i normaly canal to winchborough then road, but you could just as easilly come of at the bings and road to threemile town and along. on the whole its getting more and more busy, which can be a bind, but better that than the union of old, no grass cutting, no fence on the aquaduct,avon !!!! now that involved real ettiquete !It really was quite "uninviting", i wont go into some of the things that we as kids found in there, suffice to say the police were invoved on a number of occasions ! My Air Cadet sqn were recently kyaking along by polmont etc recentl, they were used to fairly open water, lochs etc and were not best pleased at the "boring " prospect. They had an absolute blast, at or below eye level with the surrounding countryside next to the young wood between brightons and polmont made the less experienced very much at ease and more capable of being "taught" what to do.
    On bikes, you CAN come off at muiravonside, just before the accie ( as we called iyt !) heading east, and head along the road to linlithgow, under the viaduct, or viaiee as we used to call that !Beautifull rolling farmland, (drove my very first combine there !)Bridge Inn , for those that need food n drink served at a table, or,hed into linlithgow, turn left towards Boness, and hence to the loch, run along north shore of loch giving great,usually missed views of the peel(palace). At east end of lochright turn right, back onto road, turn left, (east) up past Sun Micro systems factory.Before you go across the motorway turn right(south) and that can take you back to the union. Check the maps, its a nice we divert, breaks the monotony of the canal. Burke and Hare, check out Muiravonside Parish Church cemetry, the wee one at the side, mortice cages abound !some old gravestones as well if thats your thang !Also see if you can find the tunnel that goes under the canal at nicolton road, 6 foot 6 inches high bridge....always good fun for the transit vans amoungst us ! one of the lowest bridges in the area !ok enough prattling on, am away to get a new chain for my bike !

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The bridges in Edinburgh are painted as following;

    Coat of arms of Edinburgh on one side and of Glasgow on the other.
    * Blue to signify the water of the canal
    * Red to signify the blood of the workers lost in construction
    * Black to signify the coal that the canal transported into the city
    * Gold to signify the riches that the canal brought (or it was thought it would bring - I think profitability of the Union Canal was nipped in the bud by the railway boom)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. gembo
    Member

    Apparently you can get inside the acqueduct but I imagine given the double skin and the drops this would be exceptionally foolish. I think all canals whose construction started late 18th-early 19th century were obsolete before completion. THe gold never transpired but the routes were still plied.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. splitshift
    Member

    inside the acqueduct !
    ah yes, as a wayward yoof, it was a "challenge". theres a grate, with a large padlock, on the north east side, you used to be able to get in there, there is a tunnel that runs, apparently the whole length, but its black as pitch, cant see your hand in front of your face.The floor is made of stepping stones,with spaces, all the way down !we never had torches but went in a wee bit...SCARY is not the word !

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. HankChief
    Member

    <randon thread resurrection>

    What's the canal path like to Glasgow these days? How much is tarmac'd and how much muddy paths.

    With the Walk, Cycle Vote day in Glagow I'm pondering how to get there.

    I've always fancied doing the canal but when I'm in a rush to get to Glagow might not be the best time.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. gembo
    Member

    @Hankchief

    good at either end, soggy in the middle.

    More bits than ever before are tarmacadamed.

    THere is no doubt that it is a slog.

    Hurdles, bridges etc, it starts to become monotonous. If only going one way there is a bit more variety (and mud) once you get on to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk.

    More wee boys on motorbikes, more rain. Once at Twechar I thought I was in a river when on the towpath. There is an OK road alonside canal at Twechar so went on that for a bit.

    If there is a very dry spell, e.g. height of summer say mid 1970s style then should be dry.

    NCN 75 not much better on the slog front.

    ALways better doing the Glasgow Edinburgh route with the wind behind you too.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. sallyhinch
    Member

    We seem to be having a spell of easterlies though...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. unhurt
    Member

    I seriously considered getting up at dawn o'clock on Saturday and cycling the canal all the way to the Whisky Bond. But I'm weak and haven't done much milage this year so might get a train from Falkirk High?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    Yes I am contemplating going to Ayr on Sunday wind forecast as a light easterly

    If easterly best to do Edinburgh Glasgow and return on train. Hankchief could easily return on towpath but that would be a monumental slog. Tedious.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. HankChief
    Member

    Unhurt. I'm leaving at dawn o'clock and have a space for a stoker...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Dawn is later than it used to be.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. unhurt
    Member

    @HankChief that is very kind of you but I fear you might expect me to pedal.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. HankChief
    Member

    Took the back roads via Avonbridge in the end. 3 hours door to door - possible influenced by the tailwind. The rain even held off & I beat Unhurt to the venue so I was able to pillage the cake table

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. unhurt
    Member

    ...There was cake? I wasn't offered cake!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. gembo
    Member

    Navigator, navigator rise up and be strong
    For the morning is here and there's work to be done

    Posted 6 years ago #

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