Falkirk Wheel will be centre of Scottish Boat Rally spectacular

The Scottish Boat Rally will take place on the weekend of May 23 and 24, and while full details have yet to be published it’s likely to see everything from vintage craft to canoes appearing at the Falkirk Wheel.

It may replicate key features of the 2019 Carnival, when on-shore music, games and other entertainment combined with an armada of many different kinds of aquatic craft in a celebration of the Lowland canals system.

By the time this new event takes place Scottish Canals will have put in place a new strategy on how it aims to manage and maintain Scotland’s canals system, in a move which could mean restrictions on boat traffic at particular times.

A spokesperson said; “Our proposals will mean some limitations to how and when you might access some services on the Lowland Canals at certain locations.

“While some users may not welcome these changes, we believe we can improve the experience for the vast majority of our customers, and importantly, do so sustainably.

”However, our proposals also outline some ideas where we can reduce our operating costs and allow us to invest in direct improvements of the canal system”.

Scottish Canals has repeated its call for local residents to complete an online consulation on how the system should be managed in future, which can be accessed via https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/lowland-operations-consultation-2019/?fbclid=IwAR20iWz0zDqFrZMucl8qkCXnjejVMem9y9xy5-AktaWo-BJgfrD7ssFnc_k