02 Forth & Clyde Canal Canoe Touring Guide

Pesda Touring Mini-Guide

FORTH & CLYDE CANAL

INTRODUCTION This canal has also had bridges raised in

Leaving Falkirk, the canal passes under the Wheel basin, and

height, and has been cleaned up, making it now 56km from

then follows the line of the Antonine Wall (due for renova-

ron, to Bowling on the Clyde.

shed about where the M80 passes over, and then the pastoral

its basin just east of the Union Canal on the tidal River Car-

Kelvin Valley towards Glasgow.

The Glasgow section is not so pleasant, as the canal winds

places on the banks west of Bonnybridge (81 79); west of Kil-

developments are taking place all the time. On Clydebank,

west of Kirkintilloch on the A803 (634 730); various road

riverside corridor between themselves and the Clyde.

syth, oﬀ the B8023 (70 76); Glasgow Bridge (parking place),

its way through the northern and western suburbs, but new

people are taking an interest in the canal as it provides their

bridges through Glasgow, but none specially recommended;

The end at Bowling tends to be muddy and industrial. The

CAMPSITES & ACCOMMODATION There are no

Both of these canals have been paddled in a (long) day, but

and then Bowling Basin at the western end (450 736).

campsites on the canal (see the cross-country route for advice

on rough sites); nearest sites at Strathclyde Park, south of

Erskine Bridge is just upstream of this point, Dumbarton a few kilometres downstream.

to split the trip up, the Forth and Clyde has possible rough

campsites near Kilsyth, and the Union Canal near to the

Glasgow, or on Loch Lomond.

Avon Gorge, or Winchburgh.

DESCRIPTION There are thiry-nine locks, twenty on the

Scottish waterways see www.scottishcanals.com.

west side, nineteen on the east, plus bridges which are raised.

The most pleasant parts of the canal scenically are the east and

For more up to the minute information on the canal and

PORTAGES Portage around the locks, which come in

central parts. Falkirk has been ‘cleaned up’ and much revital-

about six clusters.

canalside pubs and gardens where once there was industry.

Contributor: Eddie Palmer

ised with the impact of the Falkirk Wheel, and there are now

The Falkirk Wheel, Union Canal | www.StandingWaves.co.uk

tion itself in the future), the Bonny Valley up to the water-

ACCESS East to west, Carron basin (905 822), near to the

M9 at Falkirk; the Falkirk Wheel basin (853 801); various

#02

WHEREVER THERE’S WATER