Help required

[Mibosa]

I am an Aussie who recently had an enjoyable canal boat trip along the River Thames and am now in the planning stages of another trip. I am throwing many routes around in my head at the moment, but one possibility is hiring a boat at Falkirk for two weeks and heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh, in whichever order, during the months of August/September. Can someone please recommend where I can read of another person's adventures doing the same route? Thanks, Bob.

[ditchcrawler]

Not been up there but IanS is your man

[Grace and Favour]

OP - I guess you've already found the Canal's website? Linky

[Mibosa]

OP - I guess you've already found the Canal's website? Linky

I hadn't, but thanks. Are you aware of any hire companies that do one way? Either Glasgow to Edinburgh or the other way?

[Ange]

I am an Aussie who recently had an enjoyable canal boat trip along the River Thames and am now in the planning stages of another trip. I am throwing many routes around in my head at the moment, but one possibility is hiring a boat at Falkirk for two weeks and heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh, in whichever order, during the months of August/September. Can someone please recommend where I can read of another person's adventures doing the same route? Thanks, Bob.

Hi Bob

 

We hired a boat a couple of years ago from Falkirk to Edinburgh. It was a great week- you absolutely can't miss the trip on the Falkirk Wheel. I don't know how long the trip to Glasgow takes but we did Edinburgh and back in a very leisurely week. We arrived in Edinburgh at the tail end of the Edinburgh Festival - if you're going that way I'd advise looking into Festival dates because it's a great experience.

 

Hopefully Haggis or IainS will be along soon - they're local bods so will be able to give you far more information than I can. Haggis is a friend of mine on Facebook so I'll send her a link to this thread.

 

We hired from Alvechurch btw - basic but functional and, importantly for us, cheap. I'm sure there are other hire firms to choose from.

 

ETA for future reference it helps to be a bit more specific with your topic title - "help required" gives no clue as to the expertise/knowledge required. If you'd titled it "hire advice required Scotland" for example Iain/Haggis would probably have already been here with detailed advice.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Ange

[haggis]

Sorry not to have responded sooner but I was a wee bit busy when I first saw the message. (thanks, Ange and Brian for reminding me :-) )

The Lowland canals in Scotland are very quiet and peaceful with some lovely scenery. Capercaillie Cruisers ( http://www.capercailliecruisers.co.uk/ ) at Falkirk are agents for the main hire companies up here and all the trips start at the Wheel - an amazing structure and being on it on a boat is an experience not to be missed. As Ange said, going east on the Union canal, to Edinburgh and back can be accomplished well within a week. On the way you pass through Linlithgow, ( http://www.linlithgow.com/ ) a place well worth exploring. On the way to Linlithgow you get great views down the Firth of Forth to the Forth road and rail bridges. Another good stopping place (for food) is at Ratho where you will find the Bridge Inn canal side. Between Ratho and Edinburgh you cross the Scott Russell aqueduct over the city bypass before going through Wester Hailes where the canal had to be completely rebuilt before it could be reopened. At the canal terminus in Edinburgh Quay you are a short walk for the city centre with all it has to offer.

Returning to Falkirk, go back down the Wheel and turn right and you will descend a flight of broad locks which will take you down to the Helix project with the amazing kelpies ( http://www.thehelix.co.uk/ ) . These are almost complete and we look forward to their official opening (a new bit of canal to the River Forth) next April. Coming back up the locks go past the Wheel and continue to Glasgow where again you can moor very near the city centre. Unlike the Union canal into Edinburgh, the Forth and Clyde canal is a broad deeper canal and it is mainly used by sea going boats crossing from one side of Scotland to the other. After Glasgow, there is a flight of locks down to Bowling where the canal joins the Firth of Clyde and if you have time, it is worth going down there. On the way you go through Clydebank where there is a boat through chip shop! You stop at the rear window and give your order, just like MacDonalds do for cars.

The Wheel and all the locks and lift bridges are done for you by Scottish Canals staff and while this makes it a more restful trip, it means that you have to keep to their time table.

With two weeks you should be able to visit all the canal termini - Edinburgh, Helix, Glasgow and Bowling, but it will depend on how much time you wish to spend exploring off the canal.

I may be just a wee bit biased, having a little Sea Otter up here and having attended all the events since the canals reopened, but I think the Lowland canals are well worth a visit.

If you want any more information about specific aspects, please ask

 

haggis

[Mibosa]

Sorry not to have responded sooner but I was a wee bit busy when I first saw the message. (thanks, Ange and Brian for reminding me :-) )

The Lowland canals in Scotland are very quiet and peaceful with some lovely scenery. Capercaillie Cruisers ( http://www.capercailliecruisers.co.uk/ ) at Falkirk are agents for the main hire companies up here and all the trips start at the Wheel - an amazing structure and being on it on a boat is an experience not to be missed. As Ange said, going east on the Union canal, to Edinburgh and back can be accomplished well within a week. On the way you pass through Linlithgow, ( http://www.linlithgow.com/ ) a place well worth exploring. On the way to Linlithgow you get great views down the Firth of Forth to the Forth road and rail bridges. Another good stopping place (for food) is at Ratho where you will find the Bridge Inn canal side. Between Ratho and Edinburgh you cross the Scott Russell aqueduct over the city bypass before going through Wester Hailes where the canal had to be completely rebuilt before it could be reopened. At the canal terminus in Edinburgh Quay you are a short walk for the city centre with all it has to offer.

Returning to Falkirk, go back down the Wheel and turn right and you will descend a flight of broad locks which will take you down to the Helix project with the amazing kelpies ( http://www.thehelix.co.uk/ ) . These are almost complete and we look forward to their official opening (a new bit of canal to the River Forth) next April. Coming back up the locks go past the Wheel and continue to Glasgow where again you can moor very near the city centre. Unlike the Union canal into Edinburgh, the Forth and Clyde canal is a broad deeper canal and it is mainly used by sea going boats crossing from one side of Scotland to the other. After Glasgow, there is a flight of locks down to Bowling where the canal joins the Firth of Clyde and if you have time, it is worth going down there. On the way you go through Clydebank where there is a boat through chip shop! You stop at the rear window and give your order, just like MacDonalds do for cars.

The Wheel and all the locks and lift bridges are done for you by Scottish Canals staff and while this makes it a more restful trip, it means that you have to keep to their time table.

With two weeks you should be able to visit all the canal termini - Edinburgh, Helix, Glasgow and Bowling, but it will depend on how much time you wish to spend exploring off the canal.

I may be just a wee bit biased, having a little Sea Otter up here and having attended all the events since the canals reopened, but I think the Lowland canals are well worth a visit.

If you want any more information about specific aspects, please ask

 

haggis

 

 

Thanks to Ange for the recommendations and especially the advice about how I address my questions. I am new to this forum method, it is too much like social media for my liking, something which I don't indulge in, but obviously a necessity for this purpose. Also, thanks to haggis for his lengthy response which has answered many of my questions and given me many areas to investigate.

Regards, Bob

[Mibosa]

Hi Bob

 

We hired a boat a couple of years ago from Falkirk to Edinburgh. It was a great week- you absolutely can't miss the trip on the Falkirk Wheel. I don't know how long the trip to Glasgow takes but we did Edinburgh and back in a very leisurely week. We arrived in Edinburgh at the tail end of the Edinburgh Festival - if you're going that way I'd advise looking into Festival dates because it's a great experience.

 

Hopefully Haggis or IainS will be along soon - they're local bods so will be able to give you far more information than I can. Haggis is a friend of mine on Facebook so I'll send her a link to this thread.

 

We hired from Alvechurch btw - basic but functional and, importantly for us, cheap. I'm sure there are other hire firms to choose from.

 

ETA for future reference it helps to be a bit more specific with your topic title - "help required" gives no clue as to the expertise/knowledge required. If you'd titled it "hire advice required Scotland" for example Iain/Haggis would probably have already been here with detailed advice.

Hi Ange, I have placed another query in this forum which you may see. My question is, do you think it is possible for someone to travel solo from Falkirk area through the wheel to Edinburgh, then to Glasgow and back to Falkirk? With emphasis on the solo. When we did our trip in August this year I had the feeling that I could manage a 58'er or even a 47'er if I could find one and manage okay. I have picked the mentioned route due to the minimal locks (not to mention the wheel and all the other destinations). Your thoughts please. Regards, Bob.

[haggis]

Bob, I have replied to your other thread.

 

haggis