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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!
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The following story was sent in by Tina Harris on her transit from Bowling to Grangemouth aboard 'Mouse':
In a nutshell
Once there was a wee mouse who lived on a mooring at Gourock.
In a nutshell.
Mouse is fed up with the wet west coast weather and habitual disturbance from the Dunoon ferry.
Armed with an ancient Mariner outboard engine and disposable camera from Tesco, Mouse sets off up the Clyde in a bit of a swell, looking for a bit of adventure.
Because of the size of unexpected waves, Mouse comes very close indeed to Dumbarton Rock. In fact at this point Mouse runs out of steam altogether and has to raise a sail.
While in this predicament someone shouts from a high wall and Mouse is dragged into a huge black hole full of churning water. The gates closed behind Mouse, and as if by magic the waters began to rise.
In a nutshell, Mouse is confused.
Under the bedcovers, Mouse tries to sleep. It is not warm, and in the dark there are noises which sound like an entire company of mice performing River Dance on tinfoil. With no music. From the wings there is much squeaking from the fenders.
In the morning Mouse sets out to explore this new environment, which mercifully is less fierce than yesterday. But that was Monday, and Mondays are rarely plain sailing.
Down a river which is called a canal, with bulrushes and swans. This will do. Mouse is carried along peacefully for some time in the company of some floating sticks and reeds.
Mouse manages a substantial breakfast at lunchtime and a few nibbles here and there. Later in the afternoon Mouse passes alongside the shopping centre in Clydebank. It is getting dark. Mouse leaps onto the bank and buys luminous red and green sticky labels.
Stuck on each ear. Port and starboard.
Mouse continues down the canal, dazzling the ducks with navigation lights. Mouse approaches Kirkintilloch, and ties up for the night.
On the towpath in the morning Mouse finds a scrap of blue and white fabric. Saltire.
Fishermen on the bank dangle the back end of a fish on a hook. Bait, they tell Mouse. Mouse checks behind and sees that a blue and white fender which has fallen off.
And the Falkirk Wheel.
Above the canal there is a crow’s nest in a birch tree. In or out of a nutshell, Mouse could be a nice meal. Time to build up some speed. Downhill all the way to Grangemouth, with a few doglegs here and there.
Nice place for the winter, Grangemouth, in a nutshell.
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