Scottish Canals Mark 25 Years of the Millennium Link Transformation

Scotland’s canal custodians are set to mark the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Link Project, which re-connected Scotland’s Lowland canals, with a series of events and community-led activities. 

The anniversary celebrations will take place across the Forth & Clyde and Union canals and will be led by Scottish Canals along with support from local communities. 

Events planned to date include heritage walk and talks, Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities within educational establishments, a canal clean-up, orchard and hedgerow restorations, and opportunities to share memories of life on and alongside the canals. 

Scottish Canals is also inviting the boating community to create their own special events this summer, with boaters’ gatherings and mini flotillas travelling along the lowland canals.  

These canals were built to provide an essential transport route across Scotland. The Forth & Clyde Canal reaches from the Firth of Clyde at Bowling to the Firth of Forth at Grangemouth, while the Union Canal runs from Edinburgh to Falkirk. Here, a series of 11 locks lowered the canal to meet the Forth & Clyde. 

Following the rise of the railways, the canals declined, eventually closing in the 1960s. They were left drained and neglected until the ambitious Millennium Link project began in 1999. This £83.5 million project was the largest canal restoration ever undertaken in Britain, bringing the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals back to life, with The Falkirk Wheel at their heart. 

The Falkirk Wheel replaces the old series of locks, lifting boats from the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, 35m above. Its iconic design is the result of a unique fusion of art and engineering, resulting in a piece of working sculpture - the world’s only rotating boat lift. 

The canals reopened in 2001, and are now thriving waterways, offering a wealth of social, economic, and community opportunities. 

Scottish Canals CEO John Paterson said: “We are delighted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Link and all those who contributed to bringing the derelict Forth & Clyde and Union Canals back to life.  

“Through our continued investment over the last 25 years, the canals and The Falkirk Wheel are now vibrant green-blue spaces and valued national assets, unlocking billions of pounds in economic value for canal side communities. 

“Our thriving, nature-filled waterways are a powerful legacy of the Millennium funding from the National Lottery. This transformation has touched so many lives. 1.5 million people live close to a canal in Scotland – more than a quarter of the population. The canals now attract over 20 million visits per year and provide an active travel network for cyclists and walkers, alleviating our roads and getting closer to 20-minute neighbourhoods.” 

Senior Project Manager, George McBurnie, who joined Scottish Canals 45 years ago, reflected on his experience of the network’s transformation: 

“When I joined Scottish Canals – British Waterways, as it was then – the canals were redundant, derelict, unloved places that had lacked investment for many decades. It was through the Herculean efforts of a small group of canal associations and enthusiasts as well as the vison of staff at the time, that we managed to bring our Lowlands network back.  

“I was part of the engineering team and a project manager at that time, and I’m now privileged once again to be managing our gate replacement programme on the Forth & Clyde Canal – the biggest engineering project since the Millennium Link. As one of several generations in my family that have worked on the canals, I look back with pride, and I look forward with great optimism for the future and longevity of our network.”