History of the Union Canal

Dramatic aqueducts and impressive tunnels - the Union Canal boasts amazing feats of engineering

An important commercial link

Originally named the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, the canal ran from Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it joined with the Forth & Clyde Canal.  Built for transporting cargoes, primarily coal, the canal was an important commercial link across Scotland.

Showcasing amazing engineering achievements, the canal followed one level by using a number of spectacular aqueducts.  It was also the only Scottish canal to feature tunnels - the Falkirk Tunnel is an impressive 631m long.

An eyesore

Through the 1900s the growth of the railways saw a decline in commercial use of the canal, and from the 1930s sections began to be filled in and built over.  Urban sections became an eyesore, and somewhere to avoid - dirty and derelict, and often filled with rubbish.

Thankfully for the canals, forward-thinking groups began to realise the value of the canals to Scotland's heritage, and to see how much they could offer again.  A huge achievement came in the 1980s the canal was formally recognised as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Millennium Link

In the 1990s a huge restoration project began, the biggest ever canal restoration in the UK at that time.  The £83.5m Millennium Link project saw the canal reopened, and linked once again with the Forth & Clyde Canal at Falkirk - now via the impressive Falkirk Wheel.

The rejuvenation of the Union Canal has continued, and today the canal towpaths offer local people a safe, attractive route to school or work, and somewhere to go for a run or a family cycle.  The water space is busy with visiting and holiday boats, as well as canal societies, enterprise companies and rowing and paddle clubs.