Regeneration of the Forth & Clyde and Union canals, Scotland

The 56 km Forth & Clyde ship canal across Scotland set a new international standard for inland waterways when completed in 1790. Linking Glasgow and t he Irish Sea in the west to Falkirk and the North Sea in the east, it was j oined in 1822 to Edinburgh by the 50 km Union Canal. But, as traffic moved to rail and then road, the waterway fell into disuse and eventually closed in the 1960s-though it soon became apparent that reopening it for recreatio nal use was vital to regenerating this strategic national corridor. With Na tional Lottery funding, the pound 78 million Millennium Link scheme-includi ng a spectacular rotating boat lift at Falkirk-is at last underway and set for completion in 2001. This paper reports on the historical, planning and environmental aspects of this landmark regeneration project.