Boat owners were invited to get involved in the special celebrations.Boat owners were invited to get involved in the special celebrations.
Boat owners were invited to get involved in the special celebrations.

Flotilla 200: Special celebrations mark Union Canal's bicentenary

The bicentennary of the Union Canal was marked by a flotilla and musical celebration at the weekend.

Boats left from both ends of the water way, at the Falkirk Wheel and Lochrin Basin in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge, to meet for an afternoon and evening event at Linlithgow’s Canal Basin celebrating the canal’s 200th anniversary.

The first stage of the flotilla from the east had left Fountainbridge on Friday with musical performances seeing the boats on their way to Ratho where they moored overnight.

On Saturday morning, the second stage began with the boats continuing on their journey east to the former staging post in Linlithgow.

While in the west, the Seagull Trust’s boat, Barr Seagull, started its journey to the celebrations by navigating the Falkirk Wheel before being joined by other boats on the way.

Musicians, including Neil Clark of Falkirk Piping, played on board some of the boats as they made their way along the water.

Members of the 1st West Lothian Sea Scouts took to the water in their kayaks to lead the east-bound flotilla across the Avon Aqueduct.

Once at the Manse Road basin in Linlithgow, the celebrations continued with the Linlithgow Union Canal Society hosting the event.

Music was provided by the Livingston Ukulele Band and the Bathgate Junior Brass Band on the canal banks, before those with tickets for the evening were able to enjoy a barbecue and music from the Jennifer McEwen band.

Flotilla 200 was organised by Scottish Waterways for All working in partnership with Scottish Canals and numerous other organisations.

On Saturday morning, the second stage began with the boats continuing on their journey east to the former staging post in Linlithgow.

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