To allow time to explore Scotlands largest city, moor at Spiers Wharf which is lined with former tobacco warehouses, now mostly converted into luxury apartments. The Union Canal, which has a length of 31 miles (50km) today, was built as a contour canal. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Kelvingrove Art Gallery | Scottish Exhibition Centre, 136 Miles | 14 Locks | 1 Week Cruise | 6 hours per day. The Arm to Port Dundas affords us views over the city and features many historic buildings, including those of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Wearing a face mask on public transport in Edinburgh is subject to regional advice. We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Take a bus, ferry, flight or train to travel 41 miles (66 km) to Edinburgh from Glasgow. Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position on the Castle Rock. - to help you get the most out of your next trip. The Union Canal, which opened in 1842, was built to bring coal and other minerals to Edinburgh. Officially it is 25.9m high but it felt higher than that when I looked over. There are additional Bespoke GB Ultras Trophies for the Top 3 Male and Top 3 Female finishers. Want to book a canalboat trip with ABC Boat Hire? From the canal basin there are panoramic views over the town, its Palace, Loch and the hills behond. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Operated by First ScotRail Service and Caledonian Sleeper, the Glasgow to Edinburgh train service departs from Glasgow Queen Street and arrives in Edinburgh. The remains represent the final berth of an early- to mid-19th-century canal barge or scow, a type of horse-drawn vessel that was the main freight carrier of the time. Driving routes from Edinburgh to Glasgow There are two main routes you can drive from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and both travel on major highways and pass several small towns for sightseeing. The waterway features the Falkirk Wheel Boat Lift. Save. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. The Wheel, around the height of eight double decker, is the worlds first rotating boat lift. Next, head through Linlithgow and stop off to see Linlithgow Palace, arguably Scotlands finest surviving medieval building and birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Our stop at Broxburn was at the right time for us although it had remained dry since Falkirk, our wrists, forearms and behinds were beginning to ache from the constant juddering due to the uneven surface of the canal path. If speed is a priority, then a bus is the best option with an average duration of 1 h; whereas, if saving money is more important, then a bus is the best option with prices starting as low as $8 . Just beyond Twechar Lift Bridge, only ruins remain of the stables at Shirva which once provided fresh horses for the swifts, fast passenger boats running to and from Glasgow in the early 1800s. The canal was incorporated under an Act of Parliament of 1817. The historic town of Kirkintilloch , enjoying its status as Canal capital of Scotland, dates back to Roman times and, as with much of this canal, has the Antonine Wall running through Peel Park in its centre. As we loaded up the bikes onto the bike carriers, we realised we had a fourth and final puncture (albeit a slow one) turned out we had not managed to remove all of the thorn from the tyre when we had the previous puncture! Yes, there is a direct train departing from Glasgow Queen Street and arriving at Edinburgh. Summer 2017. Services depart hourly, and operate every day. If so, the Oatridge Hotel in Broxburn is about a mile from the canal. Staff from Scottish Canals now help at all locks and swing or lift bridges along the canal. Journey times might be slightly longer on weekends and Bank Holidays. 100 years later, in 1966, the station was renamed Edinburgh. to Edinburgh. The company also has a 24-hour control centre that receives a GPS signal to update on location, speed and the temperature inside coaches, ensuring the smoothest journey possible. Love the waterways? First ScotRail Service operates a train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh every 20 minutes. It might be sensible to dismount and walk particularly if there are people coming in the other direction. The journey begins at the Falkirk Wheel, situated halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow and the Forth and Clyde canal which is one of the most stunning backdrops to any canal in the UK. If traveling from Falkirk a rover ticket will be charged by Scottish Canals for use of the canals. The Seagull Trust boathouse is on the former site of J & J Hay who built and operated the infamous puffers along the canal. Save 61% on UK Rail Live Train Times Save with a Railcard Get the app Union Canal 31 miles (50 km) Follow the Union Canal towpath from Falkirk to Edinburgh on this super, waterside cycling and walking route. It is 67 km from Glasgow to Edinburgh. After food and a short rest we set off on the final leg of the day next stop was Fountainbridge in Edinburgh where we had arranged to be picked up for our transport home. The village is well known in canal circles for the pretty canalside Bridge Inn, offering an opportunity for refreshments, and in international circles for its huge indoor climbing centre, the largest in the world. This payment will be taken on the first day of your holiday on arrival at the office at the Falkirk base. On arrival at Crinan, having welcomed you to the boat, we might suggest a woodland walk to blow . Cruising time per day varies depending on wheel/lock/bridge bookings. Get in touch with our friendly team who will combine their knowledge of all the cruising options to help you to choose your ideal boating holiday. After getting all the results, you can compare all bus tickets for the Glasgow Edinburgh bus route. Buchanan Street is one of Britains finest for high-street and designer fashions and leads to the Gallery of Modern Art on Royal Exchange Square an oasis of calm after a retail overload. Railways soon had the same idea for carriage of goods in this increasingly industrialised area, as bigger ships meant less traffic. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So, is it a tougher ride than the road route taken, for example, by the Pedal for Scotland Glasgow to Edinburgh event? Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half. To help ensure you have a safe and enjoyable paddle on the Glasgow to Edinburgh Canoe Trail, we ask you to respect the canals as you would do any body of water and to familiarise yourself with the following safety advice. The wheel will lift loads of 600 tonnes (300 at each end) - the approximate weight of 100 adult African elephants. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In addition, as we got closer to Edinburgh, the surface would change to tarmac which was welcome news for our aching bits! Falkirk provides countless areas of interest to visit. Glasgow usually gets more rain in April than Edinburgh. The waterway features the Falkirk Wheel Boat Lift. Find all the transport options for your trip from Glasgow to Edinburgh right here. The marina here opened in 2003 and is renowned for its pub, restaurant and hotel the first eco pub in Scotland. Includes an illustrated account of a journey on the West Highland Line, and information about the London to Fort William 'Deerstalker' sleeper train. Head along the Forth and Clyde or Union Canal for some canal fishing. To find out more about how we use your data please refer to our privacy policy. In a little over two weeks time my wife and I are planning to take our Bromptons up to Glasgow and cycle from Bowling Basin along the canal towpaths to Edinburgh. G71 7DH, 6 Clydeford DriveUddingstonGlasgowG71 7DH, Terms & Conditions|Privacy PolicyWeb Design by JD Business Marketing SLM Cycle Transport 2023, Cycling from Glasgow to Edinburgh by Canal. Special night boats called hoolets were especially popular. Opened in 1790, the canal was wide and deep enough for some sea-going vessels to cross lowland Scotland at its narrowest point. Each mooring location is different ranging from urban locations within Glasgow and Edinburgh to rural locations . Rome2rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. 1. The tolls were based on tonnage of the merchandise being conveyed; there was a toll for empty vessels, and this was to be remitted if the vessel returned laden within fourteen days. Rome2rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, connecting Edinburgh with the Forth & Clyde Canal at Port Downie, near Camelon, was opened in 1822. Am I allowed to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh? This will take you through splendid scenery and villages such as Auchinstarry the site of a Roman fort, and Kirkintilloch, which dates back to the 13th century. The canoe trail bisects Scotland, drawing a line straight from Glasgow to Edinburgh across the island's narrow waist. 21 Glasgow to Edinburgh tour packages with 108 reviews View Map In-depth Cultural Bonnie Scotland 21 reviews "Great tour had a brillIant time" Destinations Glasgow, Fort William, Isle of Skye, Inverness, Culloden, Pitlochry, Dundee +2 more Age Range By this point we had picked up our second puncture of the day the repair from the first puncture appeared to have failed giving us a slow puncture which we pumped up every few miles until we reached our planned lunch stop at the Falkirk Wheel. ), or you can reach the village of Bowling from Glasgow (15 km). Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1100-year-old history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world". 2. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket? For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our '. Buchanan Bus Station. Caledonian Sleeper also services this route 6 times a week. Home to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the worlds largest arts festival, this Scottish city offers much for many a traveller. Much wider than an English canal, the Forth & Clyde was completed in 1790, when it became the worlds first sea-to-sea canal and links the Irish and the North Seas. Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal Also known as the Union Canal, the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal runs from the Forth & Clyde Canal at Falkirk to a terminus in Edinburgh. The canal is listed as three individual scheduled monuments by Historic Scotland according to the three former counties, Midlothian, West Lothian and Stirlingshire, through which it flows. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Auchinstarry lies almost halfway between the two historic mining towns of Kilsyth and Croy either side of the canal. Glasgow to Edinburgh train services, operated by First ScotRail Service, arrive at Edinburgh station. Passing by the Linlithgow Canal Centre, we could see the unique aluminium crown of St Michaels Parish Church next to Linlithgow Palace. Continuing on from Falkirk and through Polmont we moved out into countryside again. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. I am familiar with parts of the route but have never cycled on it, my last trip being five years ago. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. 9 years ago. Union Canal: Ratho to Lochrin Basin. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Speirs Wharf is a converted warehouse which sits just north of (and above) the M8 at J16 and is sited on a branch of the main Forth & Clyde Canal. 11:20, 2 APR 2021. Yes - snacks and drinks may be purchased from the driver. Beecraigs Country Park, in the hills just south of Linlithgow, is a great place for spotting iconic red deer, Highland Cattle and Hebridean sheep (amongst others) all in 370 hectares of glorious woodland with a lake and Visitor Centre. The canal operated between a junction with the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk and Port Hopetoun basin in the centre of Edinburgh. Today it is the only remaining contour canal in Scotland. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal. By the mid-1800s, some 3 million tonnes of goods and 200,000 passengers were being carried on the Forth and Clyde Canal every year but, as with many canals, trade fell off with the arrival of the railways so the canal fell into decline in the 1930s before officially closing in the 1960s. There is an option to follow Route 75 to Leith by cycling through Edinburgh but our transport home met us at the end of the canal giving a days trip of approx 56 miles. Trips from Glasgow to Edinburgh are most popular in July, with the most tours doing this route then. In the spring, Glasgow often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Edinburgh. William Forbes, owner of Callendar House, refused to let the canal pass through his grounds so Falkirk Tunnel (690yds/631m long), a difficult tunnel hewn through rock, had to be built. Edinburgh offers a mixture of beautiful iconic landmarks and symbols of contemporary British culture. Free entry to the visitor . The Union Canal, completed in 1822, was built to transport coal to Edinburgh. ROVER TICKET If traveling from Falkirk a rover ticket will be charged by Scottish Canals for use of the canals. The cost is usually the same if booking is done 7 days in advance. Aside from the fact it is a greater distance then, yes, I think it is (although the canal route obviously could not take that volume of riders). However, having done both, I also think that the canal route is safer (unless you are riding on closed roads) and has more points of interest such as the Falkirk Wheel and the Avon Aqueduct. Give it a try yourself and see what you think! Theres only room for one-way traffic so watch out for the signals. Based at the Falkirk Wheel, located between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Falkirk base makes the ideal start point to visit both cities in a 7 night holiday. Cycling from Glasgow to Edinburgh by Canal Tougher by canal than by road? Payment will be taken on the first day of the Glasgow and Edinburgh holiday at the office in Falkirk. The elementary physics of this process echo Archimedes principle of displacement. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Three other operators also service this route. [1], The estimate of cost was evidently inadequate because a second Act authorised the borrowing of 48,100, a third Act of 1821 authorised an increase in share capital of a further 50,000 and a fourth authorised a further 60,000.[1]. Whether you are looking for a pleasant place for a short stroll, a more energetic walk or even a long distance challenge, the Forth & Clyde and Union Canal towpaths offer a great choice of canal walks. And now begins the second part of your adventure. The House was built in the style of a French chateau and, now cared for by Falkirk Community Trust, is one of Scotlands finest baronial mansions. Cruise out of Edinburgh over the Slateford Aqueduct, through the Wester Hailes Linear Park to Ratho (home of Edinburgh Canal Centre). It was opened in 1822 and was initially successful, but the construction of railways, particularly the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which opened in 1842, diminished its value as a transport medium. The canal is 35 miles (56 km) long and it runs from the River Carron at Grangemouth to the River Clyde at Bowling, and had an important basin at Port Dundas in Glasgow. When cruising from Falkirk a rover ticket will be charged by Scottish Canals for use of the canals. To do so we had to leave the canal path we were on and go under the canal via a small road tunnel to then join the main canal on its north bank it is signposted but you can miss it if you are not looking out for it. 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