Picture Perfect!

The results are in! Our annual photograph competition closed on Monday 30th November having received nearly 200 entries across the 7 categories. This is the best return we have ever had for the competition in the 6 years it has been running so obviously Scotland's canals are being well used!

The other encouraging factor was that entries came from all across the UK and even Europe. The winning entries can be viewed here and all submissions have been uploaded onto our flickr page for viewing.

To give you an idea of how far the competition reached, the selected winners were from Portsmouth, Worcestershire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Lochwinnoch and the Isle of Skye! Many thanks to everyone who took the time to enter and keep a look out for the 2010 competition, which will launch sometime next year.

Ammendment To Customer Newsletter Issue 4

It has been brought to our attention that there was an error within Issue 4 of the customer newsletter which was sent out w/c Monday 9th November. On the back page under the headline 'Dates for Your Diary' you will find a paragraph which states that the Lowland canals are closed from 18th December to 5th January - this should read 24th December to 5th January.

It should also be noted that 48 hours notice is required during the winter for all boat movements. We apologise for the error and will be sending out a note to everyone informing them of the correct information.

Sizzling Summer Part 2!

Part two of our round up the season comes from The Falkirk Wheel, our World famous visitor attraction. Our summer campaign was focused on increasing visitor numbers whilst improving the spend on site and dwell time of visitors. This was achieved by using a mixture of TV, radio, press and online advertising to promote all the benefits of a day out at The Wheel.

The new TV advert appeared on STV throughout the summer and we even had Scotland's most listened to breakfast presenter, George Bowie, broadcast his Radio Clyde show live from The Wheel one morning (see image).

Results from the campaign show that revenue is ahead of target our boat trips, cafe and retail elements whilst visits to our website and online bookings were up 18% and 44% respectively n last year. The boat trips enjoyed three record breaking days throughout July and August, including seeing the 1 millionth passenger since opening climb aboard.

As an added bonus, The Falkirk Wheel was given a gold award from the Green Tourism Initiative in Scotland at the first time of asking!

The third and final part of our round-up on seasonal events will be available next week!

Saying Goodbye To A Sizzling Summer Across The Network!

As the nights start to get longer and the air turns a bit colder, it seems like a good time to reflect upon a highly successful season for both the canal network and The Falkirk Wheel. Our continued drive to increase the awareness of Scotland's canals and to challenge existing perceptions has been the driver behind all our activity. This is part 1 of 3.

Starting with the canal network itself, we ran two outdoor campaigns back in June - one in Edinburgh, one in Inverness. Both consisted of a targeted door drop to residents who live along the canal corridor outlining all the different activities that they can enjoy by visiting their local canal. This was backed up by outdoor posters and billboards strategically placed along the main commuter arteries to maximise visibility.

In the immediate aftermath of the campaigns, our pedestrian counter numbers during July rose by an average of 48% in the Edinburgh area compared to the corresponding figure for 2008. In Inverness that increase was 28% and Fort Augustus enjoyed a more modest 4% rise, although it was starting from an infinitely higher base line with it being a popular tourist destination.

Obviously this is unsustainable as you would expect a large spike in usage immediately after the campaign. However, the overall visits to all of Scotland's inland waterways has increased by 4.38% when compared to the same period last year.

Keep checking back over the next few days for a report on The Falkirk Wheel's performance over the season.

Kirkintilloch Festival Soon!

A quick reminder that the award winning Kirkintilloch Canal Festival will be running over the last weekend in August (29+30th). We will be giving people the chance to walk on water with our now famous waterwalkerz all day on the Sunday but there will be plenty of other activities throughout the town!

For more information visit http://www.kirkintillochcanalfestival.org.uk/

Caledonian Canal Cèilidh Trail

Now in its 8th year, the Caledonian Canal Cèilidh Trail brings together a group of talented young musicians playing a variety of locations around Inverness, Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. The Cèilidh Trail is organised by The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service, and is partly funded by British Waterways Scotland.

Held in July and August, this year’s Cèilidh Trail kicked off with a Grand Opening Cèilidh at Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness, and you can check out a short video of the Opening Cèilidh at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtTfjADueKg.

The 2009 Cèilidh Trail is led by accordionist Cameron Kellow, and trainee lead musician Rachel Campbell on fiddle. Student musicians in the band are Alasdair Taylor who plays guitar, mandolin and banjo; Rachael MacDonald on Highland pipes, Gaelic song and whistle; and Ewan MacDonald who plays fiddle and guitar. The team are also joined this year by TMC Folk and their MD David Bowen as well as Fèis Lochabair Ceilidh Trailers and young musicians from Fèis a Bhaile.

Details of the Cèilidh Trail events along the Caledonian Canal can be found at http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/events/3847/caledonian-canal-ceilidh-trail-2009 where you download the 2009 programme and find out where to buy their CD! The team also have a page on Facebook!

If you have managed to catch the Cèilidh Trail on tour this year, or perhaps you have seen them before, make sure you drop us a note on the blog to tell everyone what you thought!

Hundreds Walk On Water With BWS!

Now if that headline doesn't grab your attention then we give up! The idea that anyone could walk on water may sound preposterous but that is exactly what we have been challenging the general public to do at events over the past few weeks.
How I hear you ask. Well, a couple of months ago we bought up giant inflatable water balls to use as a promotional tool at events we attend. Many discussions, meetings, method statements and risk assessments later we were ready to have a live human trial (we make it sound like a new medicine) at The Falkirk Wheel.
One member of staff volunteered to be the guinea pig, or to be more apt, hamster, that tested out the ball on the water. This was successful in as much as it did not let any water in and they came out in one piece! However, they spent most of the time on their side, back, front - pretty much everything but standing!
So finally on Saturday 20th June, members of the general public were invited to 'have a go' at Muirtown Basin on the Caledonian Canal. This was followed up by an appearance at The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh where over 600 people tried their luck over four days! To view some footage of the ball in action visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKlT_pkPkrs.
We will be taking it to other events over the coming months, so keep checking back to find out where you can take up the challenge. We're all off to practice!

Photograph Competition 2009

We have launched our annual photograph competition with some fantastic new prizes on offer alongside some all new categories. You could be in with a chance of winning a Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii or iPod Touch!

With the summer holidays upon us, there is no better time to grab your camera and head down to the canal. However, if you forget the camera or happen to be out on the towpath and see that perfect image, do not despair as we have a new mobile phone category which will accept all photos and videos taken on your mobile.

There really is no excuse to enter and be in with a chance of winning! We will be publishing some of the best entries right here over the coming months with the winners being announced in the New Year.

For more information on how to enter, visit http://www.waterscape.com/showusscotland

An Action Packed Summer Ahead!

Over the coming months, there will be plenty of opportunities to come and learn about your local canal and take part in a range of activities. Our events team will be out on the road to bring you special offers and the latest news as well as an exciting new opportunity to get out on the water!

Here is a list of where you can find us this year:

The Crossing (see article below)

The Royal Highland Show, Ingliston (25-28 June)

Edinburgh Canal Festival, Edinburgh Quay (27 June)

Glasgow River Festival, River Clyde (18-19 July)

Glasgow Show, Glasgow Green (1-2 August)

Pollock Family Day, Pollock Park (8 August)

Kirkintilloch Canal Festival, Southbank Marina (29-30 August)


Make sure you pay us a visit at one of these events! For more information on all BWS related events, visit http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/

Homecoming Scotland 2009

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth, a year long programme of events has been drawn up under the title Homecoming Scotland 2009. You may well have already heard of this, whether it was through the singing of Sean Connery, Sam Torrance and Lulu; an event that you know is happening locally, or the fact that the Scottish Cup has a new name for this year!

One of the most exciting events will be taking place next month (June) and involves one of Scotland's most stunning pieces of engineering, amazing scenery, dancing, music, story telling and boats whilst managing to spread itself over 4 days in 4 separate locations. Has that whet the appetite?!

The Crossing will be taking place on the Caledonian Canal between the 16th and 20th of June. A flotilla of boats will be travelling from Banavie in the West to Inverness in the East, stopping off at different locations for a party! There will be various land and water based activities for everyone to take part in and most of the fun is free of charge.

The purpose of establishing the event was to celebrate the Caledonian Canal, its 200 year history, the heritage and culture of the area and the communities surrounding it.

To find out more information on the various goings-on, visit http://www.thecrossing2009.com/

If you do make it along to any of the events, make sure you drop us a note on the blog to tell everyone about your experiences!

Breathe Some Fresh Air into Your Exercise Routine!

As everyone is aware and probably sick of hearing, the country is currently in the midst of a so-called 'credit crunch'. Life's little luxuries are falling by the way-side with people having less disposable income to spend. One of the first things to be banished from the monthly outgoings list is gym membership.

However, this needn't be the end of your exercise routine! The canal towpath acts as the perfect place for jogging, cycling or even going for a walk. Throw in the fact that it is a relatively flat, high quality surface which is free to use and you have no excuse not to give it a try!

The Lowland Canals towpath has even been recognised as an official cycling route by SUSTRANS. The journey from Edinburgh in the East to Bowling in the West has been classified as Route 754.


In the Highlands, the Caledonian Canal links into the Great Glen Ways

walking routes and provides some spectacular scenery for all visitors (as you can see from the picture right).

So next time you are thinking of going out for a breath of fresh air or a little exercise, don't forget to identify your local canal and work it into your route.

You Can Help Bring the Water to Life!

To look at an empty stretch of canal is undoubtedly picturesque but will invariably become boring after time. In order to bring vibrancy and colour, the waterways needs boats, people and wildlife to come together and share the experience.

National surveys suggest that around 200,000 people flock to one of Scotland’s canals in any typical two week period. The Lowland Canals play host to around 250 permanently moored boats, whilst the Caledonian and Crinan Canals attract around 3,000 transiting craft every year. Nature continues to use the canal as home with a recent National Wildlife Survey showing that sightings of swans, herons, bats, otters, dragonflies and kingfishers were recorded in Scotland. Can you add to the list?

A visit to your local canal will never leave you short of something to see and we are interested in capturing as much of the activity that goes on as possible. If you are out and about on the towpath, or even on your boat, why not take some pictures or a short video capturing your experience?

Over the coming months, we will be looking to display as many of these as we can on the site – so post them up and let us know so that everyone can get a feel for what there is to see and do. You may even feel like submitting a photo into British Waterways Scotland Photographic Competition 2009, which will be launched in the coming months.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for new items and you may even get some inspiration!

Welcome to the World of Scotland's Inland Waterways

If you were brought up in the lowlands of Scotland during the 60s and 70s, the thought of taking a stroll in and around the local canal would have likely been as appealing as a trip to the dentist. The development of the railways and road network meant that the canals, once a corner stone of industry across Scotland’s central belt, spiralled into a state of ruin.

Not so now! A combination of hard work by local volunteer groups over a number of years and the small matter of multi-million pounds worth of investment, have seen a re-birth of the countries inland waterways.

Looking back to those dark days for the canal, you may never have imagined the possibility of using the towpath to walk your dog, go for a jog or even walk to work; but then again nor would you have been expecting to be reading a blog on the internet about the canals - it is time to start challenging those perceptions that have been built up over the last 30 years!

Across Scotland last year, a staggering 24 million people visited one of the four canals: Caledonian and Crinan in the Highlands, Forth & Clyde and Union in the Lowlands. So whether you are an existing, new, potential or lapsed visitor, this is the place to find out regularly what is happening on your inland waterways.

As with all blogs, the purpose of this is to stimulate some discussion around various topics relating to the canal network so if you have stopped by to have a read, leave a comment, idea or memory! Don’t be shy – 24 million would suggest that you are not in the minority in having an interest.

Over the coming weeks, months and years we will posting information on cycling routes, walking routes, exercise routines, wining and dining, boating, wildlife, heritage, education, art, developments, regeneration and much more! These are just some of the areas that canals are at the heart of in Scotland, so keep checking back and you won’t miss a thing! We would also welcome your comments, suggestions, thoughts and ideas so get posting!

To learn more about your local canal visit http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/