Crinan Canal planned winter works 2022/23

Latest updates

Crinan Canal community forum – 27th April

The next quarterly community meeting will be held on Thursday 27th April, from 6.30pm – 8pm, at Cairnbaan Hotel, by Lochgilphead. We look forward to welcoming you along to hear the latest updates from our Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction winter works team, as this year’s works programme nears completion.
 

Crinan Basin car park – reopened

The Crinan Basin car park is now open again following repair works to the access road. The winter works site team will be removing the remaining cabin from the car park on Friday 21st April, so please be aware that the area, and the road to Crinan, will be busier than normal.
 

Crinan Basin car park – temporary closure – Monday 17th/Tuesday 18th April

The Crinan Basin car park will be closed on Monday and Tuesday next week (17th and 18th April) to allow us to carry out some temporary repair and improvement works to the car park access road.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and we’ll update here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page to confirm when the car park reopens.

Crinan Canal Planned winter works programme 2022/23 – Update 6th April 2023

We are delighted to see the canal reopen for the 2023 season!

The Crinan Canal is now open – boats in transit at lock 12:

Completed works

We have now handed back all sites to the canal operations team, following the completion of commissioning at lock 14 and Cairnbaan Bridge, and operations team training continues across all sites.

Ongoing works

Our team remain on site, as scheduled, for finishing works, monitoring and for any final fixes.

The team also continue to clear their work sites, removing site cabins, reinstating footpaths, and re-seeding grass, where possible. Other areas will be seeded once the ground is drier.

We appreciate that some areas will continue to look untidy until re-seeded areas begin to grow, however with some spring sunshine alongside the famous Scottish west coast weather, we shouldn’t have too long to wait!

Car parks now open to the public

The car parks at lock 10 and at Crinan Basin are both now open for public use. Please note that a small area remains fenced off in the lock 10 car park.

At Crinan, the main cabins have been removed and a smaller works site, with a smaller cabin, will remain in place until mid/late April. This smaller site will then be removed, allowing full use of the car park ready for late spring and the summer.

Crinan Basin car park – smaller works site compound boundaries:

What will we be doing next?

We will be carrying out some temporary repair works to the access road down to the Crinan Basin car park in the next few weeks. We’ll share the dates on is webpage, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page as soon as they are confirmed.

Livestock on the canal towpath

We are pleased to advise that the landowner is now in the process of repairing the whole length of fencing. We would however ask that you continue to report any sightings of livestock on the towpath to the police, on 101.

Dates for your diary

15th April: Crinan Canal drop-in event – Welcome back to our canal customers

We’re pleased to invite you to a drop-in event to welcome back all our canal customers for the new season!

Join us at the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, on 15th April, anytime from 10am – 1pm. Our operations team will be there to say hello, and we’ll be serving refreshments, too.

27th April: Crinan Canal Community Forum

The next community forum meeting will be on Thursday 27th April. We’ll confirm further details soon.

Keep up to date

We’ll continue to share updates on this page, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.

Anyone interested in the final stages of this year’s winter works programme updates can sign up for email updates at feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Crinan Basin car park

Car park access update – 29th March 2023:

 The winter works site team will removing the main cabins from the Crinan Basin car park tomorrow (Thursday 30th March), so please be aware that the area, and the road to Crinan, will be busier than normal.We then expect the car park to be open for public use by late afternoon tomorrow or Friday. A smaller works site, with a smaller cabin, will remain, as shown in the aerial image below. We expect for this to remain in place until mid/late April.

Crinan Basin car park – reduced works site compound:

Lock 10 car park

The car park by lock 10 is now open for public use again. Please be aware that the team do still have a small area fenced off as they continue to clear their work areas.

Update – 17th March 2023:

We’re delighted to have the canal rewatered right up to locks 14 and 15 now, with the final stages of this year’s works programme on schedule for the reopening of the canal on 3rd April.

Completed works

All works at locks 12 and 13 at Dunardry are now complete, with new cills, gate timber balance beams (used to open and close the gates) and gate walkways installed. We began the rewatering process at the start of March, first allowing water through to locks 12 and 13 for gate testing and commissioning works.

Installation works at lock 14 are now also complete, with a new cill, balance beams and gate walkways in place. The gate walkways now are open for public use, so we have removed the temporary access bridge.

Last week we closed the canal bed valve at Kilmahumaig, allowing water right up to lock 14, Crinan Basin, and lock 15.

The final components required for the upgrade of Cairnbaan Bridge’s mechanical and electrical elements arrived, and our Mechanical and Electrical team have been busy since, commissioning and testing the bridge.

All our towpath and embankment works are now complete; thank you for your patience with their impact on towpath access over the winter.

Ongoing works

Gate commissioning and testing is underway at lock 14, and we are continuing to rewater the canal, slowly filling the reaches.

The site team will be closely monitoring the canal embankments as water levels rise and we ease the water pressure load back on to the canal structure again.

The team have begun the process of clearing and tidying their work sites and making them safe; removing site cabins, reinstating footpaths, and re-seeding grass, where possible. Other areas will be seeded once the ground is drier.

We will advise as soon as public parking is available at these work sites again – this should be fairly soon at Baron’s Loch by lock 10, near Dunardy. At Crinan, the site cabins will remain until mid-April, however the team hope to reduce the site boundary as the works near completion, creating some more parking space.

At Cairnbaan Bridge there may be some final testing, in addition to staff training ready for the upcoming season.

What are we doing next?

In February we advised that routine inspections at lock 7, west of Cairnbaan, identified that there is some leakage from the sluices within the upstream lock gates. Works will be necessary here to ensure future safe and efficient operation of the gates; this will be planned into next winter’s works.

Lochgilphead High School – canal engineers of the future

At the end of February, our Graduate Construction Manager, Daniel Campbell, spent a busy day in Lochgilphead High School speaking to S1, S2, and S3 science classes. He gave a STEM talk focussing on engineering at Scottish Canals, what the future of civil engineering might look like in an increasingly digital world, and how young engineers could be a part of it.

Daniel then set the classes a canal-related engineering challenge to build an embankment or dam, before testing water retention and discussing the results and the implications of materials used, linking to real-life examples from the Crinan Canal.

We then invited a group of S3 and S4 pupils to visit the canal at Crinan, to see the engineering works at lock 14 first hand. Daniel met the group, along with Paul Berry, our Project Manager on these works, and Keir Adrain, Senior Contracts Engineer with Mackenzie Construction.

The pupils toured the site, with our team encouraging them to consider the challenges involved in works like these and how they could engineer solutions. This included comparing the size of the huge lock gates with the small access road; the young engineers decided that floating the gates into place via the canal was a more practical and environmentally-friendly option – which is exactly what we did before we dewatered the canal back in October!

Thank you to the team for giving up their time for this, and to Mackenzie Construction for providing the bus for the pupils. We’re already looking forward to more collaboration with the school when we return for next year’s planned winter works.

February lock chamber tours success

We were delighted to welcome visitors to a second round of lock chamber tours at the end of February, and we were again overwhelmed by the response! The free events were again sold out, with over 100 visitors joining experts from Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction to explore below the waterline in lock 14.

We’ve shared photos on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and shared more about some of the historic finds during the works on the Scottish Canals website, including some shaped glass bottles, miraculously intact, from the mid-1800s!

15th April: Crinan Canal drop-in event – Welcome back to our canal customers

We’re pleased to invite you to a drop-in event to welcome back all our canal customers for the new season!

Join us at the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, on 15th April, anytime from 10am – 1pm. Our operations team will be there to say hello, and we’ll be serving refreshments, too.
 

Towpath access update – 21st February 2023:

Towpath reopened: Bellanoch Bridge to Crinan Bridge

Our site team were able to deal with the sinkhole near Bellanoch Basin quickly, and the towpath from Crinan Bridge to Bellanoch Bridge is now open.The team will now be moving to carry out towpath and embankment works near lock 7 – we plan to keep the towpath open, but please do pass with care. We’ll be moving an excavator into place, which will then be working from the canal bank.We’ll keep you updated on progress, posting here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page.

Towpath access update – 20th February 2023:

Temporary towpath closure: Bellanoch Bridge to Crinan Bridge

Following the discovery of a sinkhole at Bellanoch Basin last week, the site team have now closed the towpath between Crinan Bridge and Bellanoch Bridge to allow for investigative and repair works.As we don’t yet know the scale of the works required, we aren’t able to advise on a timescale for the closure. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and will update on these works as soon as we are able.

Temporary towpath closure from Crinan Bridge to Bellanoch Bridge:

Update – 17th February 2023:

Lock 5 towpath works have been delayed due to the appearance of a new sinkhole at Bellanoch Basin. This new site will be fenced off; the towpath remains open, however please pass with care.

We will update again on Monday, once the team have had the opportunity to assess the works required.

These additional towpath and embankment works may impact our planned rewatering schedule – we’ll know more next week.

Update – 15th February 2023:

Now that all the new lock gates are installed in chambers 12, 13, and 14, the next step is to commission the gates, starting with locks 12 and 13.

Rewatering the canal from lock 9 to lock 13

In order to commission the gates, we need to refill this section of the canal. This rewatering process will happen slowly, beginning with the removal of the dam at lock 9. The summit pound between Cairnbaan and Dunardy (between locks 8 and 9) will then be filled over two or three days. Once sufficient pressure has built up on the gates at lock 9, the water will gradually be fed through to lock 13. We anticipate this rewatering process will start on Monday 20th February and will take around a week to complete.

This gradual process will ensure that the water pressure load is eased back on to the canal structures, while managing levels of sediment across the canal bed.

Once rewatering these sections of canal is complete, the gate commissioning work will include testing gate operations and performance under full water pressure loads.

What will we be doing next?

Works on the actuation at lock 14 are continuing, and towards early March we will remove the stop planks at lock 15, to gradually refill the western end of the canal. This will then allow for commissioning works at lock 14.

In addition, routine inspections at lock 7, west of Cairnbaan, have identified that there is some leakage from the sluices within the upstream lock gates. Works will be necessary here to ensure continued safe and efficient operation of the gates – we will advise the timescales for these repairs as soon as we are able.

Keep up to date

We’ll continue to share updates here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.

Anyone interested in the winter works programme updates can sign up to receive these updates via email at feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Towpath access update – 15th February 2023

Works downstream of lock 5

The towpath and embankment investigative works and repairs downstream of lock 5 are now due to begin tomorrow, Thursday 16th February. You can find full details of these works and a site map in the update below.We will post updates here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page as works progress. 

 

Towpath access update – 14th February 2023

Works downstream of lock 5

The towpath and embankment investigative works and repairs downstream of lock 5 are now due to begin tomorrow, Wednesday 15th February. You can find full details of these works and a site map in the update below.We will post updates here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page as works progress.

Update – 9th February 2023:

Last week we were excited to share some stunning drone footage from Mackenzie Construction, taken during the gates lift at lock 12 in December – you’ll find it below this update, and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page. Thevideo shows the upstream gates, weighing 6T each!

Completed works

We’re delighted to let you know that all the new gates in this year’s works plan are now in place, on schedule.

Since the winter break, we’ve lifted in the new lock gates at lock 14 and the downstream gates at locks 13 and 12. The final gates – downstream gates weighing 9T each – were installed at lock 12 on a very wet day last week. Look out for some short video clips and photos, again shared on the Crinan Canal Facebook page.

The old timber cills have been removed from the chambers at locks 12, 13 and 14 – the cill is the raised ledge against which the lock gates close, and seal shut.

The team carrying out towpath and embankment investigative works and repairs have completed leak works at Bellanoch. During the towpath closure the team were also able to make proper repairs to a leak east of Crinan Bridge, which previously received a short-term fix.

The timber fendering work at Ardrishaig Pier was completed at the end of January, and the pier is now back in operation.

Ongoing works

The site team are continuing quoin grouting works, now on the downstream gates at lock 12. These works have been completed on all the other gates.

The team are now working to install new cills, along with the gate timber balance beams (used to open and close the gates) and gate walkways.

At lock 14 we still have some minor excavation works to carry out – this has been noisy work, but it’s nearing completion.

What are we doing next?

We’ll be installing the actuators at lock 14 once the ram pits are finished.

Cairnbaan Bridge is ready for the next step in the upgrade of its mechanical and electrical elements, and we await a final delivery of components. This delivery is now due towards the middle of February. We hope to be off site by early March, however this will be dependent on the components’ delivery date.

Towpath and embankment improvement works – temporary towpath closures

The towpath between Bellanoch and Crinan Bridge has reopened today following the completion of repair works and resurfacing.

The towpath and embankment works team will be moving to the towpath downstream of Lock 5, starting on Monday, 13th February.

This work site will be a four- or five-minute walk downstream of the lock and Cairnbaan Bridge, as shown in the image below.

Upcoming towpath and embankment works – downstream of Lock 5 and Cairnbaan Bridge:

We plan to keep the towpath open during these investigative works, with a member of the team accompanying pedestrians around the site. Cyclists will be asked to dismount to pass.

Depending on what the investigative works find, we may be required to close the towpath temporarily to allow us to make repairs. We will however endeavour to keep the route open, in order to minimise disruption.

We apologise for any inconvenience; we’ll post an update here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page when the works are complete.

Livestock on the canal towpath – update

Stray cattle on the canal towpaths remains an issue. We completed our initial works to reinstate a section of fencing at Dunardry in December, however, along with all our towpath users, we are keen for the issue to be resolved completely. We remain in discussion with NatureScot and other stakeholders to establish a long-term solution. Following positive recent communications, we hope to share an update very soon.

For now, please continue to direct any reports of stray cattle on the towpaths to Police Scotland, by calling 101.

Lock chamber tours – new dates announced: 25th and 26th February

After a phenomenal response to the lock chamber tours we offered in December, we are delighted to again invite members of the public back to discover the historic canal from such a unique perspective!

Tours will run through the day or Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th February, departing from the Egg Shed in Ardrishaig. Once again, our engineering, heritage, and environment experts will guide visitors as you follow in the footsteps of the stonemasons and engineers who built the canal, over 200 years ago.

You can book your free place via our Eventbrite page – please be sure to note the essential event information.

15th April: Crinan Canal drop-in event – Welcome back to our canal customers

We’re pleased to invite you to a drop-in event to welcome back all our canal customers for the new season!

Join us at the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, on 15th April, anytime from 10am – 1pm. Our operations team will be there to say hello, and we’ll be serving refreshments, too.
 

Towpath access update – 9th February 2023

Bellanoch – Crinan Bridge now open

The towpath between Bellanoch and Crinan Bridge has reopened, following the completion of repair works and resurfacing.The team will now begin works on the towpath downstream of Lock 5 from Monday, 13th February. We hope to keep the towpath open during these works, though this will depend on the findings of the investigative works – see further details below.We’ll keep you updated on progress, and advise when the works here are complete.

Works drone footage

Fantastic winter works drone footage captured by our framework contractors Mackenzie Construction whilst installing the new gates at Dunardry, at Lock 12.

April: Crinan Canal drop-in event – Welcome back to our canal customers

15th April, Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, 10am – 1pm

The Crinan Canal team are delighted to invite you to a drop-in event to welcome back all our canal customers for the new season. Join us anytime between 10am and 1pm and meet our operations team. Refreshments served.

Towpath access update – 30th January 2023

Notice of upcoming towpath works – Lock 5

The towpath and embankment works team will be moving to the towpath downstream of Lock 5 once they finish the current works at Bellanoch.

The work site will be a four- or five-minute walk downstream of the lock and Cairnbaan Bridge, as shown in the image below.

We will keep the towpath open during these investigative works, with a member of the team accompanying pedestrians around the site. Cyclists will be asked to dismount to pass.

We apologise for any inconvenience; we’ll post an update here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page when the works are complete.

Upcoming towpath and embankment works -downstream of Lock 5 and Cairnbaan Bridge:

Towpath access update – 26th January 2023:

Temporary towpath closure: Bellanoch – Crinan Bridge

The towpath between Bellanoch and Crinan Bridge is now closed for towpath and embankment improvement works.

We apologise for any inconvenience; we’ll post an update here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page as soon as the site team are able to advise further on timings.

Crinan Canal Community Forum – 26th January 2023, 18:30 – 20:00

The next community forum will be held on Thursday 26th January at Cairnbaan Hotel, by Lochgilphead, from 18:30 – 20:00.

We look forward to welcoming you along to find out more about the winter works programme progress, and what will be happening next.

Towpath access update – 9th January 2023:

Temporary towpath closure: Bellanoch – Crinan Bridge – Lock 14

The towpath between Bellanoch and Lock 14 at Crinan is closed for the remainder of the day today, as we move construction plant into place.

We will be carrying out towpath and embankment improvement works on the northside towpath, following the ground surveys and investigative works carried out in December. These investigations have helped us to establish a priority of works.

Work will begin at a leak at Crinan Bridge, so the towpath from the bridge to lock 14 will remain closed, while the rest of the towpath will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday 10th January.

We apologise for any inconvenience; we’ll post an update here and on the Crinan Canal Facebook page as soon as the site team are able to advise further on timings.

Update – 22nd December 2022:

As 2022 draws to a close, we’re delighted with the progress made to date on our planned winter works. The site team have even given us a fantastic early Christmas present – the upstream gates at locks 12 and 13 are now installed!

The winter weather added a challenge to the gate installation works, with daytime temperatures of -10°C. However, the thorough preparation works to the masonry quoins and the addition of the quoin liners to the gates helped the works proceed smoothly.

The upstream gates installed at lock 12:

Ongoing works

Work this week has continued to prepare lock 14 for the downstream gates, in addition to installing the pits to house the new mechanism for opening and closing the lock gates.

At Ardrishaig Harbour, the work to fit timber fenders to the pier are progressing.

What are we doing next?

We will be preparing the newly installed gates at locks 12 and 13 for grout around their quoin liners.

Work will continue to prepare lock 14 for upstream and downstream gate installation, and for downstream gate installation at locks 12 and 13. Our intention is to install the gates at lock 14, followed by lock 13, and then finally lock 12.

Cairnbaan Bridge remains ready for the next step in the upgrade of its mechanical and electrical elements, and we await a delivery of components to move forward.

Bellanoch Basin towpath

We hope to carry out improvement works to the northside towpath and embankment at Bellanoch Basin in January, following the ground surveys and subsequent trial hole investigation work this month.

These works will require the towpath to be closed for their duration, with work intended to begin from Monday 9th January 2023. We will confirm this start date and the likely duration of the closure as quickly as possible after the Christmas break.

Lock chamber tours – a sell-out event

We were delighted to welcome more than 100 visitors to discover the canal from a unique perspective earlier this month. Experts from Scottish Canals’ engineering, environment, and heritage teams were on hand to guide our tours into a dry lock chamber, offering the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the stonemasons and engineers who built the canal, over 200 years ago.

Thank you to everyone who joined us.

Crinan Canal Community Forum – 26th January 2023

The next community forum will be held on Thursday 26th January at Cairnbaan Hotel, by Lochgilphead. We will confirm times after the Christmas break.

Update – 9th December 2022:

Completed works

Since our last update, the new gates for locks 12 and 13 have arrived at the canal, and works have focussed on preparing the stone lock gate ‘quoins’ ready to fit the gates.

The quoin is the semi-circular cut-out of the masonry into which the gate fits and pivots, a bit like a hinge. Over time, the old timber heel posts on the gates have worn away some of the stone so we’re adding ‘quoin liners’ to the new gates to help protect the stone. We have now completed the quoin coring works at lock 12 and at the upstream gates at locks 13 and 14.

In addition, upgraded wig wag lights (the flashing warning lights) are now in place at Cairnbaan Bridge.

Quoin coring in progress and the newly-cored quoin – Crinan Canal:

Ongoing works

We are continuing quoin coring works on the downstream gates at locks 13 and 14 and preparing the cored sections at lock 12 to receive the quoin liner. We have also started works to remove the timber cills from the chambers at locks 12, 13 and 14 – the cill is the raised ledge against which the lock gates close, and seal shut.

We have also started works on fendering in Ardrishaig Harbour.

What are we doing next?

Once the lock gate quoins are cored and prepared for their liners, we will begin lifting the new gates into position. The upstream gates at lock 12 will be the first to be installed; weather allowing we expect to lift these gates into the chamber next week.

Cairnbaan Bridge is ready for the next step in the upgrade of its mechanical and electrical elements, and we are now waiting for a delivery of components to move forward.

At lock 14 we will be digging out the pits to house the new mechanism for opening and closing the lock gates.

Bellanoch Basin towpath closure – Wednesday 14th December

The northside towpath around Bellanoch Basin will be closed from Wednesday 14th December; weather allowing, we will reopen the towpath on Friday 16th December.

Following the appearance of a sinkhole and some leaks at Bellanoch Basin during the drain down of the canal, we carried out further ground surveys of the towpath and embankment. The next step requires us to dig trial holes at intervals along the basin towpath – our findings will then inform future improvement works.

We apologise for any inconvenience and will post on the Crinan Facebook page to advise when the towpath reopens.

We hope to secure funding to be able to carry out these further improvement works in the new year – as this would impact towpath access, we will confirm any works programme as soon as possible.

Livestock on the canal towpath at Dunardy

We are aware of instances of livestock on the canal towpath at Dunardy, and we are working with several agencies to resolve this. As a result, the section of fencing immediately beside Dunardy will be reinstated this week.

We are continuing to work with partner agencies to address the issue along further reaches of the canal, however for now, please continue to take care when passing these areas – if livestock are present, please notify the police by calling 101. We will provide a further update as soon as possible.

Lock chamber tours

Our lock chamber tour event is this weekend; we were amazed at the incredible response to these! We are very much looking forward to welcoming people to explore the canal from such a rare and unique perspective.

If you will be joining us, please dress for the winter weather and remember your walking boots or wellies! If you are unable to attend then you won’t miss out, as we’ll be sharing plenty of photos on our website and social media next week.

Keep up to date

We’ll share any updates to the gate delivery dates and timings as we receive them, along with any other works updates, the Crinan Canal winter works webpage, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.

Please do pass on word of the community forum to anyone interested; anyone interested in the winter works programme updates can sign up for these emails at feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk.

21st November 2022

Livestock on canal towpath at Dunardry

We are aware of instances of livestock on the canal towpath at Dunardy, and we are working with several agencies to resolve this. In the meantime, please take care when passing this area – if livestock are present, please notify the police by calling 101.

We apologise for any inconvenience, and will provide an update on this as quickly as possible.

16th November 2022

Now that the new lock gates have arrived to the canal, the next step will involve a bit more noise (daytime only, don’t worry!), as we core into the stone lock gate ‘quoins’, ready to fit the gates. We’ll be working between locks 12, 13 and 14 to keep with the programme.

The quoin is the semi-circular cut-out of the masonry into which the gate fits and pivots, a bit like a hinge.

Over time, the old timber heel posts on the gates have worn away some of the stone so we’re adding ‘quoin liners’ to the new gates to help protect the stone – spot one in the photo!

Delivery Day! One of the new lock gates for lock 12 on the Crinan Canal:

5th November 2022

Crinan Canal Community Forum – 8th November

Following our two public meetings in September, the next community forum will be held on Tuesday 8th November, from 6.30pm – 8pm, at Cairnbaan Hotel, by Lochgilphead.

We look forward to welcoming you along to hear our latest updates on the ongoing winter works programme, and key dates and activities over the coming months.

If you are unable to attend but have any questions or comments, then please get in touch with us at feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Canal fish relocation open afternoon

We were delighted that so many people joined us at Oakfield Bridge last month to see the fish relocation operation in action.

The fish relocation specialists caught almost 1,000 individual fish from the dewatered canal sections, releasing them at the eastern end of the canal. Fish species included brown trout, European eels, roach, flounder, minnows, and stickleback.

Scottish Canals’ Environment Manager, Olivia Lassiere, was particularly pleased to see the brown trout as these are a sign of good quality water, indicating they are breeding in the canal’s feeder streams and coming down into the canal water.

We’ll post the video from the afternoon on the news page of the Scottish Canals’ website over the next day or so.

What’s happening next?

The works to remove the old lock gates are continuing, and the fabrication of the new gates for locks 12 and 13 is nearing completion.

One of the new lock gates nearing completion:

We’re excited for the delivery of these new gates as the next milestone in the works programme. The gates will be brought to Crinan by road under police escort on Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th November.

Rolling road closures will be required due to the width of the gates. Timings will be dictated by the police escort, however, we anticipate these closures will be in place for 30-45 minutes at a time and will be as short as possible.
 

We’ll share any updates to the gate delivery dates and timings as we receive them on this webpage, the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.

To keep up to date with the winter works programme, sign up for update emails at feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Crinan Basin Diversion update – 21st October 2022:

Locks 14 and 15 – Crinan Basin

Following local feedback, we have now installed a temporary bridge across the lock chamber at lock 15, providing access across to the island area for the duration of the works.

The temporary diversion is therefore no longer in place.

Update – 18th October 2022:

Towpath access update, a diary date, and an invitation

Fish rescue open afternoon invitation

The team managing the fish rescue on the canal arrived on site yesterday and the opportunity to invite locals along to view some of their work has arisen.

So, we’re delighted to invite you to an open afternoon to find out more about the fish rescue taking place this week, as we reduce the water level to carry out our winter lock gate replacement programme.

Come and join us to see some of the rescued fish being released back into the canal, discover more about the wildlife who make the canal their home, and find out more about the important engineering works that are underway:

• Where: Oakfield Bridge, by Lochgilphead, PA31 8LR.
• When: Thursday 20th October, 2pm – 5pm (you can come along any time during the afternoon)

This is an outdoor event, so please dress for the weather.

As space is limited at Oakfield Bridge, we are encouraging folk to come up to the canal by boot or bike – the closest public car park is Town Car Park, on Lorne Street in Lochgilphead. It’s a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute cycle to the bridge from here, and the route up to the canal is fully accessible.

What to expect?

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

We’ll have members of the fish rescue 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.

Wildlife experts from Scottish Canals’ environment team and Heart of Argyll Wildlife will be there to talk about the natural world supported by canal habitats and members of the Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction site engineering team will also be joining us. 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. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have, too.

We hope to see you there!

Towpath access update

Temporary diversion now in place: Locks 14 and 15 – Crinan Basin

In preparation for the removal of the old gates at lock 14 and the intended upgrade to the gates at lock 15, Crinan Canal Basin is being dewatered to sea level and the sea lock gates (15) will be opened.

Lock 15 gates are now closed and fenced off, with a signed diversion in place via the downstream gates at lock 14, as per the plan below. A stop-gate dam will be installed beside the gates at lock 15, and access will revert here when this is in place – we expect this to be next week, and will update this webpage and the Crinan Canal Facebook page.

Crinan Canal Basin – red line shows temporary towpath diversion; no access to red highlighted area while the stop-gate dam is installed:

Bellanoch Basin towpath access

Following the drawdown of the canal water level, a sinkhole has appeared in the northside towpath, towards the west end of the basin.

We will update on repair works as soon as possible; in the meantime, the towpath is open to walkers and cyclists, and the sinkhole has been clearly marked with a warning traffic cone – please take care when passing.

Date for your diary: Crinan Canal Community Forum – 8th November

Following our two public meetings in September, the next community forum will be held on Tuesday 8Th November, from 6.30pm – 8pm, at the Cairnbaan Hotel.

We’ll open registration for this soon and look forward to welcoming you along to find out more about what the winter works programme and what will be happening next.

Update – 7th October 2022:

Year two: Crinan Canal Planned Winter Works 2022/23 – Update

What have we achieved so far?

Year two of the Crinan Winter Works programme is now underway, and we are pleased to have been able to transport four pairs of lock gates from Ardrishaig to Crinan via the canal, utilising water-based machinery. This has helped to minimise the need for road closures, reducing disruption locally, and has also contributed to our commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Our framework contractor, Mackenzie Construction, have completed their site set-up at lock 10 (for the Dunardry works at locks 12 and 13), and at Crinan. Hardstanding for cranes is now in place at locks 12 and 13 and the site set up at Cairnbaan is almost complete.

We have ensured the site cabins at Crinan and Cairnbaan are hard-wired into the electricity network, removing the need to run generators throughout the day and night and minimising noise disruption. The Crinan car park will remain closed throughout the winter period to help facilitate the works. We apologise for the inconvenience this causes and we’ll look to open back up as soon as we are able. Throughout the works, we require to bring large plant onto site, but we will ensure all deliveries are marshalled to reduce disruption.

What are we doing next?

We began to drawdown the canal yesterday, reducing the water level. We anticipate that drawdown will take around 12 days, although the timescale will be weather-dependent. Water levels need to be lowered slowly to protect the embankments and throughout the drawdown we will continually monitor the embankments, both from bankside and from the water.

Additional fencing and signage will put in place before the water level is dropped significantly, for safety reasons.
When the canal level has dropped sufficiently, we will carry out a fish rescue. This is currently planned for Monday 17th October.

Since scoping the 2022 Winter Works programme, increasing costs, global supply issues, and financial pressures have forced us to revaluate what we can deliver this year. After consulting with the local community regarding the impact of the work, we have chosen to delay the replacement of the lock 15 gates; this will help limit the local disruption. We now intend to install the new gates next year, subject to available funding.

There will still be works taking place around lock 15 during this winter; stop planks will be installed downstream of lock 15 to help manage water control for the wider project. This work is due to commence Monday 17th October and may require a crane. We also intend to upgrade the existing hydraulics and will possibly replace the lock 15 operating mechanism to reduce the impact of next year’s work. We have moved the new lock 15 gates to Crinan via the canal, ensuring efficient use of our water-based machinery already in place. The new gates will be securely stored, ahead of the works next year.

Sign up for email updates

As part of our commitment to keep all local residents, businesses, and other stakeholders informed, we circulate updates regularly throughout the works programme.

If you would like to receive these updates, please email feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk. Your details will not be held for any other purpose and will not be passed on to any third parties.

We will also post more about the works and updates on this webpage and on both the Crinan Canal Facebook page and on the Scottish Canals Facebook page. We would also appreciate any sharing of this information, to help spread the word.

If you have any concerns during this programme of works, you can contact Donna Mallan, Customer Operations Manager (Scottish Canals), on 01546 603210 (Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm) or you can email enquiries@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can contact the Principal Contractor, Mackenzie Construction, on 0141 633 5555 (Mon – Fri, 8.00am – 5.00pm).

18th May 2022

This winter Crinan Canal will receive £4.5m investment to upgrade four lock gates and Cairnbaan Swing Bridge, as part of a £12m capital investment across Scottish Canals.

To facilitate the works we will be draining a substantial stretch of the canal, from Lock 9 to Lock 15.

As a result, we are closing the Crinan Canal to navigation from 4.30pm on Sunday 2nd October 2022, to the end of March 2023. We are currently developing plans for the relocation of boats at Bellanoch to elsewhere on the canal.

Our local Crinan operations team are in touch with affected customers.

Drop in session – Crinan Hotel, Tuesday 27 September

The Crinan Canal lock gate replacement project will resume this winter and we’d like to invite you to a drop-in session to find out more.

Join us for a cuppa and a chat at the Crinan Hotel (Crinan, by Lochgilphead PA31 8SR) on Tuesday 27 September, anytime from 4pm – 8pm. Members of the Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction teams will be there to answer any questions.

Sign up for updates by emailing feedback@scottishcanals.co.uk or visit this page.