Crinan Canal Planned Winter Works 2023/24

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 and dummy lock reactive works – update 24th May 2024

The third year of our winter work programme is now complete, and we reopened the canal to through-navigation on 29th April, a day earlier than anticipated.

We’re grateful to our teams, to our principal contractor Mackenzie Construction, and to our sub-contractors for all their efforts through the challenges of the winter period to ensure the planned works and the first phase of repair works to Crinan dummy lock could be completed in tandem to minimise the delay in reopening the canal.

Thank you, too, to everyone at Crinan for your support and patience during the essential works to safeguard our historic canal.

What did this year’s planned winter works involve?

This year’s works continued the lock gate replacement programme on the canal, this time at lock 15, the Crinan sea lock. In addition to replacing the gates, we upgraded the existing life-expired operating equipment for new electrical gate actuators.

In order to carry out the works safely, we closed the canal to through-navigation in October 2023, dewatering the canal from lock 14 to the sea lock. A specialist team relocated over 100 fish and crabs from Crinan, releasing them into the canal at Ardrishaig.

Highlights from this year’s winter works programme

Innovation has been a key theme in this year's programme, with the team determined to minimise both the period of through-navigation closure and the impact of the works on the local community.

Most notable was the design, manufacture, and installation of the over-lock crane platform. This was a first for Scottish Canals, involving 12 months’ development with Mackenzie Construction, supported by Argyll and Bute Council. While the concept is in use elsewhere, it is rarely seen at the scale required at Crinan.

We needed a large 130-tonne crane to lift the heavy lock gates, and the platform allowed us to place the crane over the sea lock rather than beside the lock, on the road. This was key to minimising road closures and local disruption - in fact, our engineers estimate that 76 days’ worth of road closures were avoided thanks to the platform!

This year we have also improved the design of the gates. The new upper gates, around 4.2m by 5m in size, weigh in at around 8 tonnes each. The lower gates are even larger, at around 4.2m by 8m in size and around 12 tonnes each. Both sets have a life expectancy of 40 to 50 years, which is longer than some of their associated parts, such as some of the seals. Improvements to the design and installation process mean that these associated parts can be removed and replaced separately, by divers, without dewatering the lock chamber. 

In addition, the pre-attachment process trialled during last year’s works meant that the new lock gates arrived to the canal with their quoin liners, cill plates, and ‘P’ seals already attached. This made the installation more efficient and reduced time from the programme.

A further innovation this year saw the four ram pits pre-cast and manufactured off-site. The ram pits are the box-like reinforced concrete structures which sit under the ground, to house the hydraulic ram gate actuators. Previously, these structures would have been cast in situ, however this year we had them pre-cast and manufactured off-site, so we only need to slot them into position in the pits. 

This change to the process meant we could reduce the number of concrete deliveries by lorry to Crinan; in addition, manufacturing the ram pits in a controlled environment guaranteed their quality, and the process reduced further time on site.

As in last year’s programme, we used the canal for transport as much as possible, minimising the number of heavy vehicles on the local roads and helping to reduce the project’s carbon emissions. With support from the local canal operations team, we transported more than 160 tonnes of plant and equipment by pontoon barge, including the new and old gates and the huge, 14m beams required for the cross-lock crane platform.

The old timber gates will be repurposed for use locally, at Crinan Boatyard, and we intend to refurbish the steel gates.

Reactive repair works to Crinan dummy lock

The winter works programme included further investigation of a leak at Crinan dummy lock, which was the canal sea lock until the 1930s. These investigations were only possible once we had dewatered the canal in November 2023. 

Unfortunately, the issue was more significant than indicated by initial investigations and required immediate repair works. We’re grateful to our teams and our partners Historic Environment Scotland for their work in planning and in completing the regulatory permissions process, which allowed us to carry out the first phase of work in tandem with the planned winter programme. This meant we could take advantage of the existing work site, including the over-lock crane platform and the dewatered canal.

While the first phase of repair works at the dummy lock are complete, there will be return works for the second phase, therefore some of the reinstated surfaces around the sea lock and dummy lock are temporary, not the finished surface.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide safe access over the dummy lock until the second phase of work is complete, so this access route remains fenced off. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause – access remains via the lock 14 gates.

What else did we do this winter?

We carried out some additional works alongside the gate replacement programme, including repointing the back wall of Crinan Basin and upgrading the electricity bollards at Bellanoch Marina and at Crinan Basin. We also revisited locks 12 and 13 at Dunardy, to install the stone quadrants that are used in operation with the balance beams.

What will we be doing next?

We intend to return to complete the second phase of repair works at the dummy lock next winter. Our team are assessing the repair options; they will then need to complete any required regulatory permissions process.

The second phase of works is not anticipated to require a canal closure. We’ll share more information about this as plans and regulatory permissions progress.

Crinan Community Fund

This year saw Mackenzie Construction launch their Crinan Community Fund, as a way to give back to the local communities which have been a second home for much of their team during our multi-year winter works programme.

We are delighted that they were able to support 18 different organisations locally - you can find out more on their website or watch a short video on their Facebook page.

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will continue to circulate email updates as we have information of upcoming planned works; 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

We will continue to hold our quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be Wednesday 24th July, at 6.30pm in the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig. 

You can find the minutes of the previous meeting (held on 25th April) on the Scottish Canals website.

Online updates

We will share updates on the Scottish Canals website Projects webpage as we have further information of upcoming planned works. We’ll also share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page.

In addition, we’ll continue to share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.

Works update - 29th April 2024

We're delighted to confirm that the canal reopened for through-navigation today, as scheduled.

Locks 12 and 13

Contractors are still on site at locks 12 and 13 (Dunardry), completing the installation of new quadrants (the curve of cobbles you walk over as you push the gates open or closed). The team will be operating lock 13 for boaters this week.

Lock 10 and Crinan Basin car parks

Our team will still be on site at Crinan for the next week or so to continue reinstatement works, but most Crinan Basin car park is now open for public use; the car park at lock 10 is also open.

No access over Crinan Dummy Lock

Crinan Dummy Lock will remain fenced off until the second phase of repair works are carried out - as per the signage, please use the lock 14 gates to cross the canal instead.

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 and dummy lock reactive works – update 24th April 2024

We’re delighted to have reached another milestone in these winter works, rewatering Crinan Basin, the dummy lock, and the sea lock!

Our teams are busy with the final pieces of work and site take-down, and we are now on schedule to reopen the canal on Monday 29th April, a day earlier than anticipated.

We also look forward to welcoming you to our community meeting this week – please note that this has moved from today to tomorrow; the meeting will now be on Thursday 25th April, at 6.30pm in the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig. 

What have we been doing?

At lock 15, the Crinan sea lock, we completed the last of the mechanical and electrical works before removing the scaffolding from the lock chamber. We also removed the temporary dam upstream of the lock and completed the repointing work on the back wall in Crinan Basin, below the car park.

Next, we began dry commissioning the new lock gates and completed snagging works, before preparing to rewater the basin and the locks.

Rewatering was completed last week – this was a faster process than last year, as we just had to raise the water level between locks 13 and 14 by around 1m, before filling the basin, dummy lock, and sea lock. 

We were then able to use the 130-tonne crane on the over-lock platform to remove the stop planks downstream of the sea lock. The Crinan Canal operations team transported these via pontoon along the canal to lock 10, where a smaller crane lifted them out.

Next, we moved the 130-tonne crane on to the road at Crinan and used it to take apart and remove the crane platform – this was also transported via the canal to lock 10, with the assistance of the canal operations team.

We then began our reinstatement works around the basin, including completing the installation of new electrical bollards and removing the temporary pedestrian bridge over lock 14. Access has now reverted to over the lock 14 gates.

What are we doing now?

Now that the canal is rewatered, we’re carrying out wet commissioning of the new lock gates.

The team are also progressing with the site take-down; work requiring the 130-tonne crane finished yesterday, and our temporary road closure alongside the Crinan Basin has now been lifted. 

This week, all construction equipment held at the lock 10 car park will be transported to Ardrishaig, and our site cabins in the Crinan Basin car park are scheduled to be removed. Therefore, please be aware that the road to and from Crinan will be busier this week with heavy vehicles.

In addition to works at the sea lock, we also have a team working at locks 12 and 13 at Dunardy, installing the stone quadrants that are used in operation with the balance beams. These works should be finished towards the end of next week, and don’t affect the reopening of the canal.

What will we be doing next?

We will continue the site take-down and continue with reinstatement and landscaping works around the basin. 

The safety fencing around the dummy lock will remain, so there will be no public access over the dummy lock.

Crinan dummy lock – reactive works

We are carrying out a phased programme of works to repair a leak at the Crinan dummy lock, which was the original sea lock until the 1930s. 

These works are subject to regulatory consent, and thanks to our teams and our partners at Historic Environment Scotland, we have been able to carry out the first phase of the repair in tandem with the sea lock gate replacement winter works.

This first phase of work involved driving sheet piling down into the base of the lock chamber, in front of the old downstream gates. We then created a berm, or embankment, of stones on the canal-side of the piling to ensure strength and stability, before pouring a high-strength concrete between the piles and the old downstream gates. Finally, the piles were cut to size.

While the first phase of repair works at the dummy lock are complete, there will be return works for the second phase, therefore some of the reinstated surfaces around the sea lock and dummy lock are temporary, not the finished surface. 

The second phase of works is not anticipated to require a canal closure, and we’ll share more information about this as plans and regulatory permissions progress.

Electricity bollard upgrade works at Bellanoch Marina

The new electrical bollards at Bellanoch have been installed and are now in operation. 

Reopening of Crinan Basin car park, lock 10 car park, and the road beside Crinan Basin

The car park at lock 10 will be open from this Friday, 26th April, and we hope to reopen the Crinan Basin car park and the lay by alongside Crinan Basin from this Saturday, 27th April. 

As we’ve mentioned previously, we will place temporary traffic barriers along the section of wall that we removed in the lay by. We will fully reinstate this wall once we have completed the second phase of works at the dummy lock.

The temporary road closure alongside Crinan Basin has now finished – this was the final road closure for these winter works.

We will provide an update on the reopening of the car parks on our Ongoing Works page on the Scottish Canals website and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page. 

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will continue to hold our quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be tomorrow, Thursday 25th April, at 6.30pm in the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig. 

Online updates

We continue to share updates on the Scottish Canals website, on this page.

We’ll also share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page at bit.ly/OngoingWorks_CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

In addition, we'll share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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).

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 and dummy lock reactive works – update 4th April 2024

Our planned lock gate replacement works programme at Crinan sea lock remains on schedule, and our reactive works at Crinan dummy lock are underway. We expect to reopen the canal to boat traffic on Tuesday 30th April.

What have we been doing?

The new lock gates are now almost complete, and most of the mechanical and electrical parts required have been installed. These include the sluices, sluice actuators, and the actuators for the gates themselves. The gate actuator pits have had their covers fitted, and we’ve installed the control kiosks, too.

We have now installed the new cills for both sets of gates; these are the raised ledges across the bottom of the lock chamber, against which the gates close.

The team have also fine-tuned the gates, ensuring they seal closed at their mitre points – the point of the ‘V’ shape the gates make when shut.

What are we doing now?

The last of the electrical and mechanical works are continuing, to allow the final commissioning of the new gates and operating equipment.

We’re also repointing the back wall in the Crinan Basin, below the car park, while the canal is dewatered and the basin wall is accessible.

We also have a team working at locks 12 and 13 at Dunardy, installing the stone quadrants that are used in operation with the balance beams. We expect them to be on site there until near the end of April.

What will we be doing next?

Once all the electrical and mechanical installation is complete, we’ll then start commissioning the gates.

Once the works programme is complete, we will remain on site for a few weeks while we take down the works compound, carry out some  landscaping works, reinstate paths, and continue upgrading the mooring bollards.

Crinan dummy lock – reactive works

We are carrying out a phased programme of works to repair a leak at the Crinan dummy lock, which was the original sea lock until the 1930s. 

These works are subject to regulatory consent, and we’re grateful to our teams and to our partners at Historic Environment Scotland for their work to allow our programme to move forward, allowing us to reopen the canal at the end of April, as planned.

The first phase of works involves driving sheet piling down into the base of the lock chamber, which will be backfilled with concrete, on the upstream side of the old dummy lock gates. 

The temporary repair that we carried out in the dummy lock last summer has been fully removed, and the dummy lock walls have been cleaned in preparation for the new works.

We have also installed a bubble curtain downstream of the dummy lock. This is a system that releases air bubbles on the bottom of the channel; these bubbles then act as a barrier to minimise the underwater noise impact of the pile driving. The bubble curtain will also help to reduce the movement of any silt from the dummy lock to the sea.

We’ll provide our next update on the works’ programme in mid-April.

Ongoing electricity bollard upgrade works – limited access to pontoons and shore power at Bellanoch Marina

Contractors are currently carrying out essential work to renew power bollards on the canal, including at Crinan Basin and Bellanoch Marina.

At Bellanoch Marina, the contractor has had to lift up sections of the pontoon decking to gain access to replace cabling, and the power supply to the bollards remains isolated. Unfortunately, this means that there is currently no access to the pontoons, and shore power is unavailable.

We will share specific updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and on the Scottish Canals’ Ongoing Works webpage, but we now anticipate these restrictions will be in place until Wednesday 10th April. We apologise for the inconvenience caused in the meantime.

Extended period for temporary road closures and extended closure of Crinan Basin car park and lay by

As we noted in our previous update, the Crinan Basin car park and the lay by alongside the Crinan Basin will remain closed until the end of the works’ programme. The existing residential parking spaces will remain available, but we apologise for any inconvenience caused in the meantime.

We will continue to provide notice of any road closures via signage on the ground and via our Ongoing Works page on the Scottish Canals website and the Crinan Canal Facebook page. The Crinan Hotel can be accessed via the western side of the loop road during any temporary road closures.

Lochgilphead High School STEM site visit

We were delighted to welcome pupils from Lochgilphead High School for a STEM site visit recently. The 11 fourth and fifth-year pupils were met by members of the Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction team for a site induction and a talk about the canal and our works programme, before touring the site.

Our team were kept on their toes with great discussion about the challenges of construction works of this scale, in such a unique environment, and the solutions employed. We wonder if perhaps a future canal engineer was among the group?

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will continue to hold our quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be Thursday 25th April*, at 6.30pm in the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig.

Online updates

We will continue to share updates on the Scottish Canals website. This pages includes general information and updates about the works, and we share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page at bit.ly/OngoingWorks_CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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).

 * Updated 19/04/2024 - the previous date was Wednesday 24th April

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 and dummy lock reactive works – update 8th March 2024

Our planned winter works programme remains on schedule, and we’ve reached another milestone, with both the upper and lower sets of new gates now installed in the Crinan sea lock chamber.

What have we been doing?

The team carried out the complex gate lifting operations at the end of January, using a smaller 45T crane working in tandem with the 130T crane on the over-lock platform. The smaller, lighter upper gates (weighing around 8T each) were lifted into position first, followed by the larger, heavier downstream gates (each around 12T). Lifting operations went smoothly, despite the best efforts of the midweek weather.

We then grouted the lock gate quoins – the semi-circular cut out of the lock wall, in which the gate pivots – making sure the new lock gates and their quoin liners are bound to the chamber.

Next, the team finished excavating pits alongside the tops of the lock walls, and installing ducting, before using the crane to lift the new ram pits into place for the lower gates. The ram pits are box-like reinforced concrete structures which sit under the ground, to house the hydraulic ram gate actuators.

Previously these structures would have been cast in situ, however this year we had them pre-cast and manufactured off-site, so we only need to slot them into position in the pits. This change to the process will reduce time on site and reduce the disruption to the site neighbours at Crinan.

What are we doing now?

This week we have been installing the pre-cast ram pits for the upper gates and carrying out minor works to concrete them into position. We’ve also continued installing ducting, and we welcomed our mechanical and electrical services contractor, Fairfields, onto site.

We’re working on fine-tuning the lock gate positioning and installing cables to the ram pits and main gate control kiosks.

What will we be doing next?

Next, our focus will be on the actuation system for the new lock gates, installing the mechanical and electrical parts required. 

We’ll also be working to install new upper and lower gate cills – these are the raised ledges across the bottom of the lock chamber, against which the gates close.

Crinan dummy lock – intended reactive works

As we advised in our last update, we intend to carry out reactive repair works to the Crinan dummy lock immediately following the lock 15 gate replacement works. 

We had been monitoring a leak in the lock, which then worsened in August 2023; we planned a detailed investigation into the current works programme, and these took place in late November once the canal was dewatered. Unfortunately, the issue was more significant than indicated by initial investigations, requiring immediate repair works.

By scheduling the reactive repair works programme to follow the current sea lock works, we can take advantage of the work site that is already set up and the canal already dewatered. We will also be able to use the over-lock crane platform, allowing us further efficiencies in the programme.

We are still going through the required regulatory consent process to obtain the relevant permissions for our intended works, but we have a phased programme of works planned which will allow us to reopen the canal to boat traffic on Tuesday 30th April. Please note that our programme is subject to obtaining the required permissions.

There will then be ongoing works around the canal for a further six to eight weeks after this, while we take down the works compound, carry out landscaping works, reinstate paths, and upgrade the mooring bollards.

We’ll provide our next update on the works programmes at the end of March.

Notice of piling works – intended first phase of programme

Subject to the required permissions, we intend to begin the first phase of the reactive works programme on Wednesday 13th March.

These works will involve driving sheet piling down to the base of the dummy lock, which will create noise at some points. We expect the works to take around a week, however the noise will only be made sporadically, during the piling of the individual sheets. There will be a moderate whirring noise as sheets are driven down into the ground, and then there will be a rattle as they reach the solid bottom of the lock chamber.

The team hope to finish piling as quickly as possible to minimise the impact locally, but we apologise for any discomfort and inconvenience this noisy activity may cause.

What is the Crinan dummy lock?

The dummy lock was the original Crinan Canal sea lock when the canal opened in 1801. By the 1930s, the sea lock required significant, costly repairs, and it was decided to build a new sea lock.

The benefits of this included cost factors, but also allowed the canal to be accessed during a wider window of tide times. The new sea lock was built to accommodate larger vessels, and during the work Crinan Basin was also extended to act as a harbour for these vessels.

The old sea lock then became a 'dummy' lock, with the downstream gates used to form a permanent shutter for a concrete-capped infill to seal the lock. The chamber now provides more space in the basin for moorings.

Extended period for temporary road closures and extended closure of Crinan Basin car park and lay by

We have applied to extend the current Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) until the end of May – this is a continuation of the existing ‘umbrella’ road closure period. We require this extension in order to safely carry out the intended reactive works at the dummy lock – however, as presently, any road closures will be for short periods, not for the full duration of the TTRO.

We will continue to provide notice of closures via signage on the ground and via our Ongoing Works page on the Scottish Canals website and the Crinan Canal Facebook page. The Crinan Hotel can be accessed via the western side of the loop road during any temporary road closures.

The lay by alongside Crinan Basin will remain closed until the end of the winter works programme, in order for us to continue to use the crane safely. Before reopening the lay by, we will place temporary traffic barriers along the section of wall that we removed. We will fully reinstate this wall once we have completed the second phase of works at the dummy lock – until then, we require safe access via the lay by.

The Crinan Basin car park will also remain closed until the middle or end of May, as it houses our site compound – we apologise for any inconvenience. The existing residential spaces will remain available.

Mackenzie Construction Crinan Community Fund

Our principal contractor Mackenzie Construction launched a community fund last summer, aiming to give something back to the Crinan communities that have become a second home to many of the team over Scottish Canals’ multi-year winter works programme.

The fund focused on providing civil engineering work, and applications were considered against the fund criteria: benefits to the wider community, long term positive impact, supporting community health and wellbeing, environmental benefits and sustainability, reducing inequality, and creating or promoting opportunities for young people.

Mackenzie Construction received a fantastic response from a wide range of local groups and organisations and have now made donations to 10 organisations and improvement works projects have been scoped and started for a further eight.

You can find out more about the fund and some of the organisations benefitting from the fund on the Mackenzie Construction website.

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will continue to hold our quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be towards the end of April, and we’ll share further details closer to the time.

Online updates

We will continue to share updates on the Scottish Canals website. You can find more general information and updates about the works online on our Projects page at bit.ly/CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

We’ll share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page at bit.ly/OngoingWorks_CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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).

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - Update 26th January 2024

Our planned lock gate replacement works programme for lock 15, Crinan sea lock, is going well. We’re grateful to our framework contractors and the Scottish Canals team for their efforts to ensure there have been no delays during the recent winter storms.

Crinan dummy lock – intended reactive works and revised canal reopening date

As noted in previous updates, we have been monitoring a leak at Crinan dummy lock and we included time for investigating this when planning the current winter works programme. The leak then worsened in August 2023, and we were required to move boats out of Crinan Basin and to carry out a temporary holding repair to allow navigation to be maintained until we could investigate more fully.

These investigations were possible once we closed the canal and then dewatered, towards the end of November. Unfortunately, we discovered that the issue was much more significant than indicated from initial inspections.

We have now assessed the options for repairing the dummy lock and identified the most effective solution for a timely yet robust long-term repair.

Therefore, we intend to carry out reactive repair works to the dummy lock immediately following the lock 15 gate replacement works, allowing us to take advantage of the work site that is already set up and the canal already dewatered. We will also be able to use the over-lock crane platform, allowing us further efficiencies in the programme.

We are currently going through the required regulatory consent process to obtain the relevant permissions for our intended works. Subject to obtaining these permissions, the indicative reopening date for the canal is Tuesday 30th April.

As custodians of Scotland's canals, we have a statutory duty to ensure we operate as efficiently and as safely as possible, but we do apologise for any inconvenience caused by the additional works programme and delayed reopening of the canal.

There will then be ongoing works around the canal for a further six to eight weeks after this, while we take down the works compound, carry out landscaping works, reinstate paths, and upgrade the mooring bollards.

We’ll provide a further update on the works programmes at the end of February.

What have we been doing at lock 15? 

Since coming back from the Christmas break, we have dewatered the basin and reset the dams that are in place to allow our work areas to remain dry.

The recent stormy wet weather posed a particular challenge on site, meaning that the team then had to make further improvements to the dams inside the sea lock chamber to keep water away from specific work areas.

Thanks to their efforts, we've now completed all the coring works for the new lock gates and prepared the cored surface ready for grouting. We've also removed all four of the old anchors which held the old gates in position, and we've started preparation for installing the new anchors.

We then fitted pintles in preparation for installing the new lock gates. These are upright pins at the bottom of the cut-out quoin, on which the gate pivots.

What are we doing now? 

Works in the last week have involved coring at the top of the lock wall to create new pits in which the new hydraulic ram gate actuators will sit. The hydraulic rams have been made for us off-site, to add further efficiencies and reduce risk to the programme schedule.

We are also currently removing some of our scaffolding access and relocating this within the lock chamber, in preparation for installing the new lock gates.

What are we doing next? 

Weather permitting, we will begin works to install the new lock gates from Monday 29th January. 

The upper gates are smaller and lighter (still weighing around 8 tonnes each, and around 4.2m by 5m in size), while the downstream gates are larger and heavier, around 4.2m by 8m in size and weighing around 12 tonnes each. This makes the lifting operation more complex, so we will again be carrying out tandem crane lifts, with a second crane assisting the over-lock crane.

Temporary road closure alongside Crinan Basin from Monday 29th January

We'll be temporarily closing the road alongside Crinan Basin to carry out the gate lift operations safely. Weather permitting, this will be from Monday 29th January, for up to a week. We’ll share updates on this on Facebook and the ongoing works webpage, as per the links below.

The road closure will be in place daily between 8am and 5pm and will be signed. During this period, the Crinan Hotel can be accessed via the western side of the loop road.

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

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

Community meetings

We will continue to hold our quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be towards the end of April, and we’ll share further details closer to the time. Thank you to everyone who attended on Wednesday evening (24th January).

Online updates

We will continue to share updates on the Scottish Canals website. You can find more general information and updates about the works online on our Projects page at bit.ly/CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

We’ll share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page at bit.ly/OngoingWorks_CrinanWinterWorks23-24.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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).

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - Update 21st December 2023

As 2023 draws to a close, the winter works team have been busy preparing lock 15 for the installation of the new gates.

Works have included coring the concrete quoins and clearing away the old gate pintles. (The quoin is the semi-circular cut-out of the masonry, or concrete) as above.  The team used diamond drilling for this. The lock gate fits into the quoin and pivots, a bit like a hinge. Over time, the old heel posts on the gates have worn away some of the concrete. We’ve added ‘quoin liners’ to the new gates already, to help protect the quoin. The gate pintles are upright pins at the bottom of the quoin, on which the gate pivots.

The site team are now preparing the site for the Christmas break and getting ready to rewater the basin and the lock. This will mean we won’t have to carry out water management, minimising local disruption over the holiday period.

We’ll finish on site on Thursday (21st December) and return on Monday 8th January. Should you have any urgent concerns during this time, the Scottish Canals’ out of hours emergency phone number is 0800 072 9900.

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - Update 6th December 2023

We’re delighted with the recent progress on site, with our over-lock crane platform performing well. If you missed our previous updates, we developed this innovative platform over the last year in partnership with Mackenzie Construction and with support from our partners Argyll and Bute Council, to significantly reduce the need for road closures at Crinan. 

This new method of working has also allowed the works programme to be shortened, with a planned canal reopening date of 12 April 2024, a month earlier than originally anticipated. We’re pleased to confirm that the winter works remain on schedule.

What have we been doing? 

We have now completed the stop plank dam downstream of lock 15, the Crinan sea lock, working with a dive team and using the crane on the over-lock platform. After installing a sealing plate across the bottom, we lifted the planks into place, fitting them into the stop plank grooves in the canal walls to create a dam.

We then met another project milestone, lifting out both sets of old lock 15 gates. The timber upper gates are smaller and lighter (still weighing around 8 tonnes each, and around 4.2m by 5m in size), and we lifted these out first. The steel downstream gates are larger and heavier, around 4.2m by 8m in size and weighing around 12 tonnes each. This made the lifting operation more complex, requiring a tandem crane lift with a second crane assisting the over-lock crane.

We hope to reuse the old gates, and we have already moved the lower/downstream gates to storage in Ardrishaig while we assess their condition. Wherever possible, we are trying to minimise disruption in the local area, so with the help of the Crinan Canal operations and maintenance teams, we transported the gates from Crinan to Ardrishaig via the canal.

Following the gate lifts, we began draining Crinan Basin to a level suitable for the fish relocation works, which successfully took place from Monday to Thursday the week before last. The specialist team from APEM used fyke nets (tubular fish traps) to catch over 100 fish and crabs from the basin. Species included flounder, grey mullet, eels, four-bearded rockling, pollock, and green shore crabs.

Pedestrian access via lock 14

We have now installed a temporary bridge over lock 14; pedestrian access is now via the bridge rather than over the lock gates.

Crinan Basin remains fenced off for the duration of the works programme, to ensure safety for the duration of the works. Additional safety fencing will be installed around the edge of the basin before we begin dewatering.

Fish relocation drop-in afternoon

We were delighted to welcome the local community to the Egg Shed at the end of November to learn more about the wildlife found in and along the canal, with the upper classes from Ardrishaig Primary School joining us, too.

It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm for learning about the unique habitat the canal provides, with Scottish Canals’ environmental scientist Julia Johnstone and Heart of Argyll Wildlife ranger Pete Creech providing interactive activities.

The APEM fish relocation specialists explained more about the fish and crabs living in the canal, and visitors were able to get up close to see some of the fish caught just that morning, on their way to be released.

Engineers from Scottish Canals and contractors Mackenzie Construction were also on hand throughout the afternoon to welcome visitors and to answer any questions about the winter engineering works. 

What are we doing now? 

Now that the fish relocation is complete, we have slowly been fully draining the canal basin and reducing the water level in the reach between locks 13 and 14. During this process, we are monitoring the embankments, assessing known leaks and any others that may arise. 

The basin is now almost fully drained, so we’ve erected scaffold towers at each lock gate quoin, ready to prepare these for the installation of the gates.

For anyone who’d find a lock gate terminology refresher useful, the quoin is the semi-circular cut-out of the masonry (or, in the case of lock 15, concrete) into which the gate fits and pivots, a bit like a hinge. Over time, the old heel posts on the gates have worn away some of the concrete. We’ve added ‘quoin liners’ to the new gates already, to help protect the quoin. 

In the basin, we’ve built another (smaller) dam, in front of the upper lock gates. This will help us to manage any water that collects in the basin, preventing it from reaching the lock 15 works site and allowing us to divert it to the dummy lock, to be pumped out.

What are we doing next? 

In lock 15 we will be coring into the concrete lock gate quoins, so that we can fit the new gates with their pre-attached quoin liners.

We’re also working to clear the lock of the old gate attachments, including the cills, the raised ledge against which the lock gates close, and seal shut.

At the dummy lock we will be investigating the existing leak to assess the damage. This will then inform the future repair work.

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will continue to hold our next quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be towards the end of January, in the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig.

Online updates

We will continue to share updates on this page on the Scottish Canals website. You can also find more general information and updates about the works online on our Ongoing Works page.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) or you can email CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk

Alternatively, you can contact Mackenzie Construction on 0141 633 5555 (8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday). 

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - update and invitation - 16th November 2023

What have we been doing?

The over-lock crane platform was delivered to us in sections at the end of October and we transported these along the canal from lock 10 to lock 15 to minimise local disruption. The team have now successfully completed the platform installation over lock 15 and a 130-tonne crane is now in place over the lock.

This innovative method of working is a first for Scottish Canals and is a response to local feedback and our determination to minimise the impact of our winter works on the local community. The over-lock crane platform has been in development since the end of last year’s winter works programme and is the result of collaboration between our engineering team, principal contractors Mackenzie Construction, and support from our partners Argyll and Bute Council.

While the concept is in use elsewhere, it is rarely seen at this scale – we’re grateful to the team for their perseverance in bringing the crane platform to fruition.

The installation of the over-lock platform will have a huge impact on the winter works as it means that we don’t need to position the crane on the road, so we are able to minimise disruption at Crinan by significantly reducing the need for road closures. The platform also provides improved efficiencies and more favourable lifting conditions for our operations.

The crane has already carried out its first lifting operations; working with a second 130t crane at lock 14, we lifted the new lock 15 gates from their location lock side at 14 onto the pontoon and floated them the short distance to lock 15. The crane on the platform carried out its first proper lift, lifting the gates from the pontoon to lock side at 15. They are now in position ready to be installed.

In preparation for draining locks 14, 15, and the Crinan Basin, we will install stop planks just downstream of lock 15. We’ve transported these stop planks along the canal from lock 10 to lock 14.

What are we doing now?

We currently have divers working at the stop plank site downstream of lock 15, installing a sealing plate at the bottom of the stop plank grooves in the canal walls. Once complete, the crane on the platform will lift the stop planks from the pontoon and place them one at a time across the canal, placing them into grooves. The planks stack together horizontally to create a dam.

The team are also preparing to lift out the old lock gates, with works planned for the end of this week. The smaller and lighter timber upper gates will be lifted out first. They’ll be lifted on to the island, using the crane on the platform. The heavier steel lower gates will then be lifted in tandem by the crane on the platform and a second crane, which will be positioned on the road. The gates will be lifted on to the road and then transferred to a pontoon, ready to be transported via the canal.

We will need to close the road beside Crinan Basin to facilitate the lower gates lifts; the closure will be indicated by signage on the ground.

Crinan Basin remains fenced off for the duration of the works programme, to ensure safety for the duration of the works. Additional safety fencing will be installed around the edge of the basin before we begin dewatering.

Road beside Crinan Basin now open

The extended temporary closure beside the Crinan Basin has now finished, and we don’t anticipate any further long closure periods in the near future. Please keep in mind that the road closure permission process allows for closures as required during the winter works programme – if a short temporary closure is required for any reason, such as the gate lifts, this will be indicated by signage on the ground.

Lock 15 closed to public access

Lock 15 remains closed to the public, with a pedestrian diversion in place via the gates at lock 14.

What are we doing next?

Once the stop lock is installed the team will assess and carry out temporary repairs to the existing leak at the dummy lock. This will prevent any water ingress to the canal basin once we drain the water level down, ensuring the team can work safety.

Fish relocation operations and open afternoon invitation

We will be working with specialists to catch and release the fish from the canal sections as we dewater them; we expect this to be towards the end of November.

Come and join us to discover more about the wildlife who make the canal their home, and find out more about the important engineering works that are underway. We’ll have members of the fish relocation team on hand to explain how they capture, transport, and release the rescued fish.

There will be a chance to see rescued fish up close, and to see them released back into the canal. Members of Scottish Canals’ environment team and our friends from Heart of Argyll Wildlife will be on hand, and we will also be joined by some of the Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction site engineering team. The site team will explain more about the winter works programme on the canal, how and why we dewater the canal, and why we need to carry out these works.

Where: The Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, PA30 8DX.

When: Thursday 23rd November, 2pm – 5pm (you can come along any time during the afternoon)

Please note that as the fish relocation is part of the construction works schedule, it is subject to change. We’ll provide updates and advance confirmation via our website and Facebook pages.

This event will be partly outdoors, so please dress for the weather. We would love to see folk arriving by boot or bike, but there is plenty of car parking space available, too.

What to expect? The open afternoon is free to attend, and suitable for all ages.

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will continue to hold our next quarterly community forum meetings; the next meeting will be towards the end of January in the Egg Shed.

Online updates

We will continue to share updates on this page on the Scottish Canals website. You can also find more general information and updates about the works online on our Ongoing Works page.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) or you can email CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk

Alternatively, you can contact Mackenzie Construction on 0141 633 5555 (8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday). 

A heritage look at the Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24

Chris O'Connell, our Heritage Manager, visited lock 15 ahead of this year's winter works programme - take a look to find out more about the project from a heritage perspective. 

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - update 10th October 2023

Change to works programme completion date  

We are delighted to let you know that we have revised our winter works completion date – we are now working to a canal reopening date of 12 April 2024, a month earlier than we originally advised, and a completion date of Mid-May 2024 rather than Mid-June 2024.  

The lock gate replacement programme is essential to ensure the continued safe operation of the canal, however we appreciate the impact of these works on the local community and businesses. Following consultation, we moved the works start date back to the end of October. In addition, our engineering team and our principal contractors Mackenzie Construction have been working hard behind the scenes with support from our partners Argyll and Bute Council, to investigate new methods of working to further reduce the impact of the works. 

We are pleased to have now received approval for the commissioning of an innovative ‘over-lock crane platform’.  

This method of working has been developed by our engineers and contractors and is a first for Scottish Canals. The crane platform is a modular system; while the system is in use elsewhere, it is rarely seen at the scale required for our works. The platform sections will be floated along the canal to the works site to ensure minimal local disruption during their delivery.   

The new crane arrangement will facilitate efficient lifting of the old lock gates out of the lock chamber and lift the new gates into place, as well as for various other activities throughout the works. Without the platform, the crane would be situated on the road alongside the canal basin, requiring multiple temporary road closures. The platform will significantly reduce the road closures required, minimising disruption as far as we possibly can.   

The over-lock crane platform will also provide more favourable lifting conditions for our operations; the lifting radius will be reduced as the crane will be closer to the lock gates, and lifting will therefore be at a slightly lower level. This allows us to use a smaller and lower crane which will reduce the risk of weather impact.  

During last year’s winter works we successfully trialled a new method as part of the lock gate installation process, carrying out works to the gates before they are installed rather than during the installation process. This year, the site team have developed this a stage further, carrying out additional pre-attachment works to the new lock 15 gates. This is anticipated to add further efficiencies during the gate installation works. 

Additionally, Argyll and Bute Council have now approved our Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). With this critical confirmation now in place alongside the approval of the over-lock crane platform, we have been able to revise the works programme. 

A note of caution though; as with any construction works, dates are subject to change. We are committed to delivering a safe, efficient programme; the revised timetable is more challenging, so we will review this schedule in November and again in January to assess the impact of any extreme weather or unexpected site conditions. We’ll provide updates on these reviews, and continue to share regular communications, too. 

What are we doing next? 

Preparations for crane platform installation 

The over-lock crane platform will be built on site, and the site team will shortly begin excavating small areas on the island between lock 15 and the dummy lock for the installation of the platform’s foundations. The foundations are temporary and will be removed after the works. These localised works won’t require a diversion, but please note that the team will set up a safe working area and that there will be machinery on the island.  

Closure of layby and removal of layby wall from Monday 16th October  

We had anticipated closing the layby alongside the sea lock office/sea lock chamber last month, however our site team worked to enable us to postpone these restrictions, to minimise local disruption. The layby will now be closed from Monday 16th October. We will be temporarily taking down the wall running alongside the layby to create a safe working area and will reinstate the wall on completion of the works. 

Closure of lock 15 from Monday 16th October 

Lock 15 will be closed to the public from Monday 16th October as our preparation works for the crane platform continue. There will be a safe diversion route via lock 14, with signage in place. The canal navigation will remain open until 5pm on the 25th of October 2023.   

Lock 10 car park closure from Saturday 21st October 

We will be closing the car park at Lock 10 only for short periods at the beginning and end of the works. The first closure is anticipated to be from Saturday 21st October to Sunday 29th October. This is to allow us to transport a crane and plant machinery along the canal from Lock 10 to Crinan, removing construction traffic from the road. 

First road closure from Monday 23rd October  

Our Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) application has been approved by Argyll and Bute Council. As we’ve mentioned previously, the process required that we apply for an ‘umbrella’ closure period – any required road closures will NOT be in place for the full duration of the TTRO. 

We can now confirm the proposed road closure from Monday 23rd October will begin as planned, alongside Crinan Basin as far as the Crinan Hotel, on the Crinan loop road.   

The closure will be from 8am to 5pm each day, with restricted and residential access only. This closure is required for setting up the crane platform as well as to allow some temporary works to facilitate these operations. We expect the closure to be in place for up to four weeks. During this period, the Crinan Hotel can be accessed via the western side of the loop road.  

As during the previous years’ works, we will advise the details of road closures closer to the works and specific activities and they will all be indicated by signage on the ground. We will always endeavour to only close roads for as short a period as necessary, and on as few occasions as possible. 

Crinan Canal Basin fencing from Monday 23rd October 

Crinan Basin will be fully fenced off for the duration of the works; we’ll be installing this safety fencing from Monday 23rd October.  

Keep up to date  

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

Email updates  

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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  

Our next quarterly community forum meeting will be on Thursday 26th October (6:30pm at The Egg Shed).  

Online updates  

We will continue to share updates this Projects web page. We’ll also share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) or you can email CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk

Alternatively, you can contact Mackenzie Construction on 0141 633 5555 (8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday). 

Crinan Canal planned winter works programme 2023/24 - update 14th September 2023

What are we doing now?

Mackenzie Construction, our principal contractors, will begin preparations on site from Monday 18th September.

As last year, we will be using the Crinan Basin car park as our works site, so the car park will be closed to the public throughout the winter period. We apologise for the inconvenience this causes and we’ll look to open the car park back up as soon as we are able. Throughout the works we will require to bring large plant onto site, but we will ensure all deliveries are marshalled to reduce disruption.

The first deliveries will be the site cabins, which will arrive from Monday – please be aware that there will be heavier vehicles on the road which may cause minor local disruption. These cabins will be hardwired into the electricity network, removing the need to run generators throughout the day and night and minimising noise disturbance.

From Monday 25th September, there will be parking restrictions within the layby alongside the sea lock office/sea lock chamber, to facilitate the works and ensure safe working areas. Restrictions will apply for the duration of the works programme. Parking will at times be completely suspended in the layby, as required during the project.

What will we be doing next?

This third year of works continues our lock gate replacement programme, with the installation of new gates at lock 15, the Crinan sea lock. We will also be upgrading the existing life-expired operating equipment for new electrical gate actuators.

In order to undertake these works safely and effectively, we will dewater lock 15, Crinan Basin, and lock 14. We will also need to lower the water level in the reach between locks 13 and 14 by around 1m. The canal will be closed to through navigation, but it will be open as usual for boat movements as far as lock 13.

The last transit entry into the canal will be on Saturday 21st October, with the canal then closing to boat traffic at 5pm on Wednesday 25th October.

Ahead of this closure, we will install safety fencing and signage around the sea lock, Crinan Basin, and lock 14 so that it is in place ready for the start of the works and the water drain down. As soon as we have a date confirmed for when the fencing will be erected, we’ll share an update on Facebook and on the Crinan Canal winter works webpage for ongoing works.

We are still investigating new methods of working so that we can minimise the impact of our works on the local community.

We have now submitted our application to Argyll and Bute Council for permission to close roads as required throughout the works, via a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). The process for this is such that we apply for an ‘umbrella’ permission period for the duration of the works. Please be assured that any required road closures will NOT be in place for the full duration of the TTRO.

As during the previous years’ works, we will advise the details of road closures closer to the works and specific activities and they will all be indicated by signage on the ground. We will always endeavour to only close roads for as short a period as necessary, and on as few occasions as possible.

The first proposed road closure will be from Monday 23rd October, alongside Crinan Basin as far as the Crinan Hotel, on the Crinan loop road. 

The closure will be from 8am to 5pm each day, with restricted and residential access only. This closure is required for setting up the crane which will be carrying out lifting operations for the lock gate installation, as well as to allow some temporary works to facilitate these operations. We expect the closure to be in place for up to four weeks. During this period, the Crinan Hotel can be accessed via the western side of the loop road. We have already advised those directly affected by the closure and continue to consult with Argyll and Bute Council.

We will be closing the car park at Lock 10 only for short periods at the beginning and end of the works. The first closure is anticipated to be from Saturday 21st October to Sunday 29th October. This is to allow us to transport a crane and plant machinery along the canal from lock 10 to Crinan, removing construction traffic from the road.

We expect to reopen the canal in mid-May 2024, with contractors finishing on site in mid-June 2024.

Mackenzie Construction Community Fund

Mackenzie Construction received a fantastic response to their community fund, from a wide range of local groups and organisations.  

The fund is focused on providing civil engineering work, and applications were considered against the fund criteria: benefits to the wider community, long term positive impact, supporting community health and wellbeing, environmental benefits and sustainability, reducing inequality, and creating or promoting opportunities for young people. 

Mackenzie Construction will now be carrying out site visits with successful applicants. In addition, we are delighted to see that they have also marked the launch of the fund by offering a £500 goodwill donation to each organisation whose application did not entirely satisfy the civil engineering or community benefit criteria, in support of their projects. 

We are excited to see further updates as projects progress. 

Keep up to date

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

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

Our quarterly community forum meetings will continue as normal during the winter works; the next meeting will be on Thursday 26th October (time and venue TBC).

Online updates

We will continue to share updates online, with our regular updates posted to this page. 

We’ll also share notice of specific road closures, towpath closures, and diversions, on our Ongoing Works page. As we move through the programme we will include milestone project dates on this page, too, allowing you to see where we are within the works programme. Please note that, as with any major construction project, dates will always be subject to change.

We will also share updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ 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).

Update 22nd August 2023 - Year three of the Crinan Canal planned winter works programme

Invitation: Crinan Canal planned winter works 2023/24 drop-in session

We will be holding an informal drop-in information session ahead of this year’s winter works programme, and we would like to invite you to join us: 

When: Tuesday 29th August, from 4pm – 7pm (you can come along any time during the afternoon)

Where: Crinan Coffee Shop, Crinan Hotel, Crinan, by Lochgilphead, PA31 8SR

Mackenzie Construction, our principal contractor, and members of Scottish Canals’ engineering team will be there to chat to you about the planned winter works and to answer any questions you might have. 

If you are unable to attend the drop-in session but do have questions, then please email us at CrinanWinterWorks@scottishcanals.co.uk. 

What will the 2023/24 winter works programme involve?

This third year of works continues our lock gate replacement programme, with the installation of new gates at lock 15, the Crinan sea lock. We will also be upgrading the existing life-expired operating equipment for new electrical gate actuators.

Preparatory works will begin from mid to late September 2023, however the canal will remain fully open until Wednesday 25th October 2023. We will then close to through navigation boat traffic from Thursday 26th October 2023.

In order to undertake these works safely and effectively, we will drain lock 15, Crinan Basin, and lock 14. We may also need to lower the water level in the pound between locks 13 and 14. The canal will be closed to through navigation, but it will be open as usual for boat movements as far as lock 13.

The last transit entry into the canal will be on Saturday 21st October, with the canal then closing to boat traffic at 5pm on Wednesday 25th October. Additionally, there may be restrictions on the towpath and there will need to be temporary closures of roads around the lock. Appropriate diversions will be put in place, where required. As always, we will endeavour to minimise disruption locally, and we will give as much advance notice of road and towpath access restrictions as possible.

We have applied to Argyll and Bute Council for permission to close the roads as required, via a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). The process for this is such that we have applied for an ‘umbrella’ permission period for the duration of the works. Please be assured that any required road closures will NOT be in place for the full duration of the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order. 

We expect to reopen the canal in mid-May 2024, with contractors finishing on site in mid-June 2024.

You can find more details in our previous update, below. 

Temporary repair works – leak at Crinan dummy lock (old sea lock) 

We had planned to carry out repairs to a known minor leak at Crinan dummy lock (the old sea lock) during the upcoming winter works, however the leak developed significantly at the beginning of August. 

We have moved boats out of the dummy lock as a precaution and carried out a holding repair. We will continue to monitor the area, and once Crinan Basin is drained down for the lock gate replacement works, we will implement a more permanent repair. 

Mackenzie Construction Community Fund 

We were delighted to see Mackenzie Construction launch a community fund in May for the Crinan communities. They have advised that, due to the volume of applications, they will now be in touch with successful applicants by 31st August. 

Email and online updates 

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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. 

We will continue to share updates on this webpage, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page. We will also share details of road and towpath restrictions during the works on our Ongoing Works webpage.

Community meetings

Our next quarterly community forum meeting will be on Thursday 26th October (time and venue TBC).

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).

Update 18th July 2023 - Year three of the Crinan Canal planned winter works programme

The third year of our Crinan Canal winter works programme will begin with preparatory works from mid to late September 2023, however the canal will remain fully open until Wednesday 25th October 2023. We will then close to through navigation boat traffic from Thursday 26th October 2023.

Following careful consideration of feedback from stakeholders and customers, and extensive discussions with our contractors, we are able this year to keep the canal open for a full month later than last year.

What will we be doing during the planned works for the 2023/24 winter programme, and when?

This third year of works continues our lock gate replacement programme, with the installation of new gates at lock 15, the Crinan sea lock. We will also be upgrading the existing life-expired operating equipment for new electrical gate actuators.

In order to undertake these works safely and effectively, we will dewater lock 15, Crinan Basin, and lock 14. We may also need to lower the water level in the pound between locks 13 and 14. The canal will be closed to through navigation, but it will be open as usual for boat movements as far as lock 13.

The last transit entry into the canal will be on Saturday 21st October, with the canal then closing to boat traffic at 5pm on Wednesday 25th October. Additionally, there may be restrictions on the towpath and there will need to be temporary closures of roads around the lock. We will put appropriate diversions in place, where required. As always, we will endeavour to minimise disruption locally, and we will give as much advance notice of road and towpath access restrictions as possible.

Mackenzie Construction will continue as our principal contractor; they will begin on site in mid to late September 2023 to carry out preparatory works ahead of the canal closure. We are actively investigating new methods of working so that we can minimise the impact of our works on the local community.

We expect to reopen the canal in mid-May 2024, with contractors finishing on site in mid-June 2024.

Email updates

We will circulate email updates regularly throughout 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

We will hold an open drop-in information session before the works start, where Scottish Canals staff and members of the site team will be available to answer any questions you may have. We’ll let you know the details of this session closer to the time.

Our quarterly community forum meetings will continue as normal, too; the next meetings will be:

• Wednesday 26th July at Cairnbaan Hotel, by Lochgilphead, from 18:30 – 20:00
• Thursday 26th October (time and venue TBC)

Online updates

We will continue to share updates throughout the works on this webpage, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.