School Kids Take To The Water As Glasgow's Canal Prepares For New Season

31 March 2007

As spring begins to take hold Scotland's Lowland canals are waking up to the new season, with a series of boat trips along Glasgow's newly refurbished canal corridor proving popular with the city's school kids.

A host of Glasgow primary schools including Cadder, Anderston, St Patrick's and Saracen, set sail from Speirs Wharf to Maryhill over the past few weeks. The trips, which were organised by the Waterways Trust Scotland , British Waterways, and the Forth & Clyde Canal Society, provided an opportunity for the delighted pupils to learn about the history of the Forth & Clyde Canal and future plans for the waterway.

Following its opening in September last year, the spectacular new canal basin at Port Dundas is now gearing up for the new season and the arrival of a host of land and water based visitors. Plans to create a series Landscaping links around this new stretch of canal are also being taken forward.

As part of new season preparations, British Waterways has undertaken its annual Towpath Tidy with staff from across the organisation giving up their time to spring clean the towpaths. Armed with litter picks and bin bags the volunteers cleared almost 200kg of litter between Applecross Street and Speirs Wharf on the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal .

Commenting on the new season, Liam Griffin, Lowland Canals Manager at British Waterways said: "Our canal network offers a tremendous range of leisure and educational opportunities and it was great to see so many smiling faces during the successful school trips. Following a wide ranging winter maintenance programme the canals are ready for the new season and I look forward to welcoming many more visitors, both young and old, to our fantastic Lowland waterways over the coming months."

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Issued on behalf of British Waterways Scotland by Wave PR. For more information contact Chris Bell or Alison Jack on 0141 303 8390.

Notes to Editors

British Waterways cares for and maintains the nation's 2,000 mile network of canals and inland waterways, working in partnership with private companies, local authorities, voluntary groups and other government agencies to protect and enhance the waterways and benefit the communities through which they run.

British Waterways Scotland

Responsibility for inland waterways in Scotland is a devolved matter, with funding for British Waterways' Scottish activities coming from the Scottish Executive. In Scotland the 137 mile (220km) canal network includes the Caledonian, Crinan, Forth & Clyde, Union and Monkland canals.

British Waterways Scotland works in partnerships with local authorities, voluntary groups, private companies and other government agencies to protect and enhance the waterways and benefit the communities through which they run.

The organisation balances the conservation of the country's heritage and environment with developing commercial opportunities to generate income to reinvest in the waterways for further sustainable regeneration.

For further information about waterway wildlife and enjoying Britain 's canals and rivers visit www.waterscape.com.