haggis

Enjoy your trip on the Lowland canals! Although the distances make it look as if a trip to both Glasgow and Edinburgh in a week is feasible, the fact that Scottish canals do the locks and bridges for you means that you have to cruise to their timetable and this may affect how far you can go. Having said that, friends of our hired form Falkirk, went to Edinburgh then back down the Wheel to Glasgow then on to Bowling before going back to Falkirk. In a week! They did long days when they weren't constrained by locking times etc. If you go to Edinburgh first, you can moor at Linlithgow the first night then it is possible to get to Edinburgh the next night. Return to Linlithgow the next night, down the Wheel and head towards Glasgow the next night (mooring at Auchinstarry or at lock 16 below the Wheel?) then on to Glasgow the next day. Return to Auchinstarry then back to the Wheel. It is all possible but you need to speak to Scottish canals bookings to see if you can get bookings at the times you need them. On the other hand, you could have a leisurely trip to Edinburgh and enjoy the scenery! haggis

The reason for having to have SCs permission before you put a boat in the water is so that it can be checked for the presence of nasties like mussels etc. We don't have these up here and we don't really want them :-) . I have heard of a boat having to be kept on hard standing in Grangemouth till the SC staff were satisfied that all the little blighters had been removed. I think the owners hired strong pressure washers and spent a day or so cleaning their hull haggis

I have a battery operated insect killer and it is great! It is like a small tennis raquet and you press a button and swipe. Great for midges too. When you get a hit it makes a very satisfying zapp noise :-) It was bought in Poundstrtecher (or similar) for about £5 and it is now in it's third year on the same battery haggis

I have been arguing for years (since the Lowland Canals reopened) for boater operation of locks, bridges etc but with very little success. The hire boat operators up here seem to have a much stronger voice and they don't want hirers to be given the chance of sinking a boat (the locks have gate but no side paddles). Also, when BW Scotland put in any moorings they seemed to be under the impression that they had to be pontoons with water and electricity available. It has taken years to convince them that most boaters would like the opportunity to moor wild if they could determine where the towpath stopped and the canal started - the BWS ecologist didn't want the towpath edge cut as it was needed for wild life!! The fact that the wild life have all the offside bank and that boaters couldn't get to the edge and off their boats in an emergency didn't seem valid arguments. Then Scottish Canals (the new BW Scotland) decided that boats might be nice so they put lots of money into creating residential moorings, all complete with a nicely painted hut to keep belongings in. In the last year, we are seeing evidence of more basic visitor moorings being provided so I live in hope that SC see value in having moving boats on their canals. Re the weed cutters. We need them all!!! Because there are so few moving boats, the weeds get a chance to grow, both from the bottom of the canal and the towpath edge and in the summer, all the cutters are in use almost every day. Re the sea lock at Grangemouth. When the Millennium Link bid was prepared, I think it included an extension to the canal and a link to the River Carron similar to what has just been created (with the Kelpies) but that bid failed on the grounds of cost and a lot of things had to be dropped before the bid was accepted. The present sea lock was a compromise and although there is not a big window of opportunity to use it, I don't think it is as short as 20 minutes a tide although a lot depends on the dimensions of the boat as the height of Kerse Road Bridge is also a limiting factor to some boats. I live in hope that one day the Lowland canals will give us the freedom to use the canals that we enjoy south of the border. Haggis

I love that walk up the feeder too! All the little bridges and tunnels are built of the same beautiful stone as the ones on the canal. Magical, but I am perhaps a wee bit biased :-) haggis

The "marina" at Causewayend was actually a transhipment basin (between boats and trains) and it would make an ideal marina but I think there is (or was) a problem getting road access and power. We often moor there overnight. BW Scotland were of the opinion that they had to provide water (and usually power) at all moorings so it is a bit difficult not to moor at a water point :-). The canal is so quiet that this doesn't really present a problem. haggis

Sorry to hear that Scottish Canals (not a trust in Scotland) are not being helpful but I think they have the monopoly on moorings. There was a marina in Kirkintilloch but I am fairly sure it has been taken over by SC. There are a few housing developments which include a few mooring spaces but not sure if any of them are open yet. The one at Ratho is probably the nearest completion. There are no boatyards or private marinas on the Lowland canals. Sorry not to be more helpful but Scottish Canals in Glasgow are the folk to speak to. haggis

The way to deal with that is to ask nicely and sympathetcally if they have used their last poo bag and to offer them one of mine (I always seem to have them in my pockets even when I have no dogs with me). I haven't had anyone refuse my offer and I take a bit of enjoyment seeing a dog owner picking up when they had no intention of doing it. haggis

Can I just say how much I have enjoyed this thread. Many thanks to all the competitors who showed their friendly rivalry in the nicest possible way and well done to you all for doing the challenge and keeping the rest of us entertained for months. If this thread has inspired others to take part in the future it will have helped the BCN, one of my favourite areas of canals. Haggis

Is this the boat which was left high and dry after the floods? Just along from the lock. It seemed to be missing a propeller when we saw it and to have suffered a bit of vandalism. Good luck with the journey and restoration Sorry we can't help as we are not in that area now. haggis

I wasn't looking forward to boating in Birmingham for the first time several years ago as I imagined it as all built up with no grassy areas for the dogs. How wrong I was! It is now one of my favourite places to boat and my favourite mooring is right outside the National Indoor Arena. When boating, I like to get off the boat and walk the dogs along the towpath and I don't think I have ever failed to find a good safe area for doing this in Birmingham. Don't give Birmingham a miss and I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised. Haggis

Sorry! I am not yet used to accessing and posting to CWDF on my ipad :-) perhaps a mod could move it for me if I ask nicely? Haggis

We read on here a few weeks ago about folk having a les than good experiences the Fleur de Lys on the Stratford and we thought we would pass on the news that it has changed hands and we have just had an enjoyable meal with no complaints about the service or staff attitude. nice to see somewhere improving! And they have free wifi too. Haggis

If a boat is at the water point with not a lot happening, surely the least we can do as considerate helpful boaters, is to help them take on water :-) haggis

I think it was when we went down the South Oxford last year that we found that everything was covered in grease but there was a twig sitting on top of most lock gear posts which were very effective at lifting pawls etc.. On our way back up, I met a guy who said he used to boat on that canal and now spent his time walking up and down greasing the lock gear. Nice thought but it did have a downside if it was him who had been a bit too generous. haggis

A thought! What about coming to an arrangement with the company who already operate the kind of boat you are interested in in Liverpool and agreeing that if you buy a boat, they will arrange lets (around your needs) and service and generally look after the boat. They seem to have the "letting and looking after" aspects well in control so why not cash in their expertise and come to a financial arrangement which suits both sides Haggis

I am intrigued how the organisation (ie the multitude of incestuous companys which were/are PL management) can now find the money to pay a years fees up front when only a few months ago, they couldn't afford to pay. Have they won the pools :-). haggis