Visitors to the Caledonian Canal are being invited to capture some canal magic at a fun-filled festival of free activities celebrating the arrival of the World Canals Conference in Inverness and Scotland’s 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.
The #CanalMagic Festival, organised by Scottish Canals and the Scottish Waterways Trust, kicks off on Saturday September 17th at Muirtown Basin and will feature an array of activities on and off the water. More adventurous attendees can test their grip on climbing walls, walk on water in the aptly-named waterwalkerz and channel their inner Olympian in rowing, skiff and kayak races.
Those looking to sample the more sedate side of the festival will be able to grab an array of delectable delights from food stalls, enjoy a range of traditional music, and even take a free canal boat cruise around the basin. A model boat design and building competition will also see amateur engineers put their skills to the test as they compete for the top spot – and the glory of creating a vessel that floats!
The festival marks the culmination of the year-long #CanalMagic programme of events, organised by Scottish Canals and supported by the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, which asked cyclists, runners, walkers, boaters, canalside communities and businesses to share what the nation’s 137-mile network means to them in the run-up to the 2016 World Canals Conference.
From Red Bull Neptune Steps on the Forth & Clyde Canal – the world’s only uphill swimming race – and the Edinburgh Canal Festival, to the creation of a chocolate clad scale model of The Falkirk Wheel for Cake Fest Scotland, the #CanalMagic events have attracted more than 6000 people so far.
The #CanalMagic Festival marks the start of the 2016 World Canals Conference, which returns to Scotland after more than a decade. The four-day event commences on September 19th and will see more than 300 international waterway experts, business leaders and global professionals celebrate innovative thinking and cutting-edge delivery in a range of disciplines including sustainable tourism development, regeneration, heritage management, climate change and engineering within the iconic landscape of the Scottish Highlands.
Throughout the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, people from all over Scotland have been capturing #CanalMagic and celebrating everything that makes the nation’s historic canals such special places.
From the water to the banks and beyond, the #CanalMagic Festival will bring all those incredible experiences together in a fun-filled day that encourages people to make the most of their local canal and showcases the best of Scotland to attendees of the World Canals Conference.
After cheering on athletes in the world’s only uphill swimming race, watching The Falkirk Wheel be recreated in chocolate, and working with local communities to create a shared vision for the future of the Crinan Canal, the #CanalMagic Festival is a fitting culmination for what has been an incredible year on Scotland’s waterways and a fantastic way to kick off the World Canals Conference.
Stephen Wiseman, Heritage Officer at Scottish Waterways Trust, added: “We are delighted to help deliver the #CanalMagic Festival. It’s set to be a fantastic day with lots of opportunities to try new activities on and off the water and appreciate everything the Caledonian Canal has to offer. We want everybody to get out and see what’s on their doorstep – there’s something for all ages, abilities and aspirations!”
The #CanalMagic Festival will be held at Muirtown Basin from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 17th September. Entry to the festival is free, with donations requested for some activities. For more information on the festival, see http://bit.ly/CanalMagicFest