The Linlithgow Union Canal Society is a
waterway society and a Scottish
registered charity
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
based at Linlithgow Canal Centre on the
Union Canal at
Linlithgow,
West Lothian
West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...
, Scotland. Also known as "LUCS", it was founded in 1975 by Melville Gray to "promote and encourage the restoration and use of the Union Canal, particularly in the vicinity of Linlithgow".
History
From 1970, Mel Gray had started to clear the
towpath with the help of boys from
HMYOI Polmont, a
Young Offenders Institution. This was followed by the first boaters' Rally at Linlithgow Canal Centre, organised by the
Scottish Inland Waterways Association and the
Scottish Civic Trust in 1972. In 1975 the Society acquired an old
dredger from the (then)
British Waterways Board, now
Scottish Canals.
In the Seventies and Eighties, other canal societies began to be formed on the Union Canal and the
Forth & Clyde Canal, including
Edinburgh Canal Society,
Forth Canoe Club,
Bridge 19-40 Canal Society and others. Persistent campaigning resulted in the restoration of the Scottish Lowland canals through the
Millennium Link Project of which Linlithgow Union Canal Society was an official Partner. The Link connects the Union and Forth & Clyde canals by way of the unique
Falkirk Wheel boat lift.
Linlithgow Union Canal Society hosted a Scottish Inland Waterways Association (SIWA) Rally in 2008, and it participates in the annual Linlithgow Folk Festival.
Mel Gray, the founder, died in March 2006 .
Linlithgow Canal Centre
The Society administers the Linlithgow Canal Centre and operates boat trips, a tearoom and the new Mel Gray Education Centre.
Provision for schools includes boat trips to teach children water safety and other related topics, and the Education Centre is able to cater for all age groups.
Further boats were purchased in 1987 and 1995 and are taking visitors to Linlithgow or the
Avon Aqueduct; constructed by
Hugh Baird with advice from
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotland, as well ...
, it is the second longest
aqueduct in the UK and the longest and highest in Scotland. The trip boat "Saint Magdalene" is named after the
St Magdalene distillery.
The Canal Museum was created in 1977. It had started life as a stable for the boat horses and is now a resource centre for the study of the history of the UK canal system.
Photo gallery
Image:Linlithgow Canal Centre.jpg
Image:Linlithgow Tripboat.jpg
Image:LUCS plaque.jpg, Tourist Board plaque
Image:Linlithgow Canal Tearoom.jpg
Image:SIWA Rally 2008.jpg
See also
*
List of waterway societies in the United Kingdom
References
* "Canal & Riverboat" Magazine, April 2005, article by Ian Mitchell
External links
*
Scottish Inland Waterways Association websiteNational Archives of ScotlandWest Lothian Council website
{{coord, 55.9749, -3.5982, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Museums in West Lothian
Transport museums in Scotland
Canal museums in the United Kingdom
Waterways organisations in Scotland
Organisations based in West Lothian
Charities based in Scotland
1975 establishments in Scotland
Organizations established in 1975
Linlithgow