Scottish Canals set for transformation with new website and rebrand

More than a decade after separating from British Waterways, Scottish Canals is rebranding and launching a new website.  

An organisation which prides itself on being inclusive for all the new look will feel fresh, honest and transparent, which reflects the ongoing benefits and continued relevance of Scottish Canals’ family of five canals to Scotland’s communities in today’s society. 

The new branding will be gradually rolled out across the network and will be kick started with the launch of a new Scottish Canals website. 

Signage across the 141-miles of canal network will be condensed and will be updated over a five-year period, with safety signage taking an early priority. 

Since separating from the rest of the wider network of British Waterways, Scottish Canals as the custodians of Scotland’s inland waterways, have facilitated economic and community benefits such as established new destinations ,reconnected communities, supported housing development, pioneered new technologies to respond to climate change, enhanced biodiversity whilst attracting new customers and built partnerships, including a world-first with the Glasgow Caledonian University to prove that canal-side regeneration impacts positively on health and wellbeing, and even prolongs human health and lifespan.

The new brand logo has also been designed in-house to subtly form an `S’ and a ‘C’ with the symbol forming elements of land and water coming together, with a canal flowing through the middle. The five lines situated at the top also represent the  family of five canals, (Crinan, Caledonian, Forth &Clyde, Union and the Monkland canal. 

The new website, which has been user tested, is set to enhance and improve Scottish Canals marketing, sales, customer engagement and operational efficiency.  

John Paterson, Chief Executive at Scottish Canals said: “Since £83.4m investment in the canal network through Millennium projects, and subsequent separation from the rest of British Waterways network,  Scottish Canals has matured and seen great changes over the last two decades, so it was important that the brand reflects on who we are today, how we have grown, diversified and also demonstrates our  significant ongoing relevance and high value to society – it looks not only to the invaluable heritage from the past, but importantly, to where we are going. 

“This simple one brand approach is honest and transparent and will help us evidence our impact, and to be accountable to our people and the communities we serve. 

“The rebrand and launch of the new website represents our ambitions extends beyond the traditional and important backdrop of “boating on the canal”, to incorporate the ever diversification of uses on and along our canals, looks towards a promising and exciting future for the canal network and associate visitor and user attractions across Scotland,  and their wider global appeal.”