COMPLETED Crinan Canal Basin Landscaping Winter Works 2025/26

Our principal contractors, Mackenzie Construction, will be back on site from [NEED DATES] to carry out the planned landscaping works. The design plan for the Crinan Basin was created following our community engagement sessions in July 2024 and retains the basin’s unique character while improving accessibility for all users. 

We will be delivering these works with funding from Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formally Sustans), Argyll and Bute Council, and from the Scottish Government.

What will the works involve this year?

The planned works focus on continued accessibility improvements, improving moorings, and improving the transition through the basin for boaters. We expect to be on site from [START DATE], finishing in early spring.

At the dummy lock, we’ll install a new walkway to provide access over to the lock 15 sea lock gate. This new walkway will look like our existing lock gate walkways and will also serve to hide the sheet piling on the basin-side of the dummy lock.

We’ll also create a path connection from the end of the dummy lock to the towpath on the north side of the basin, which forms part of the National Cycling Route 98 spur, and widen the existing footpath alongside Seaview Cottage towards the dummy lock and the new walkway.

These dummy lock and path works will be funded by Walk Wheel Cyle Trust (formally Sustrans).

At Lock 14, we’ll install ramped access to the lower lock gates walkway and install a new path from the NCN spur up to the lower gates, giving access to the picnic benches on the south side of the canal.

We’ll install new steps from the basin up to the bus stop, making the risers more manageable for people with limited mobility and improving the handrail.

The new steps and lock 14 works will be funded by Argyll and Bute Council.

Works delivered through our funding from the Scottish Government will focus mainly on the dummy lock. Here, we’ll install bespoke fendering to allow us to offer moorings in the dummy lock again, and we’ll remove the existing Heras fencing around our inspection access hatch. We’ll replace this with a temporary timber fence, improving the visual appearance of the dummy lock surrounds.

Planning and Scheduled Monument Consent

The works around Crinan Basin are permitted development under Class 35 and Class 36 of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

Scheduled Monument Consent permission has been received from Historic Environment Scotland as required.

Local access and information for residents and visitors

We expect works hours on site to be from 7am-6pm. Most of the work will be carried out on the towpath side and at lock 14, so we expect less disruption to local access than in the last two periods of winter works.

Mackenzie Constructions will use part of the basin car park for their site accommodation. This means they can use the existing electricity supply and won’t need to run generators, reducing noise impact.

We don’t anticipate any road closures for the programme of works; road access will remain open to the Crinan Coffee Shop and the Crinan Hotel. The Crinan Hotel can also always be accessed via the western side of the loop road. 

There will be vehicle and plant movements between our localised work sites and the main compound in the car park. There will also be some small areas of towpath restrictions, and any required towpath diversions will be clearly signed on the ground.

Keep up to date

We are committed to keeping residents, businesses, and other stakeholders informed of the winter works programme, and will do so via:

Email updates

We will circulate email updates during the works programme; if you would like to receive these updates, please email CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk. 

Your details will not be held for any other purpose and will not be passed on to any third parties. Anyone already signed up to receive Crinan winter works updates will continue to do so unless you advise us otherwise.

Community meetings

The next community meeting will be on ADD DETAILS

Online updates

We will share updates on this webpage, and we will share notice of the specific towpath restrictions and any necessary diversions on our [CREATE ONGOING WORKS PAGE]. We will also share any important updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page.

If you have any concerns during this programme of works, you can contact Donna Mallan, Customer Operations Manager (Scottish Canals), on 01546 603210 (09:00 – 17:00, Mon – Fri) or you can email CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk. Alternatively, you can contact Mackenzie Construction on 0141 633 5555 (08:00 – 17:00, Mon - Fri). 

Should you need to contact the team urgently out with these hours, please call Scottish Canals’ emergency number, 0800 072 9900.