Union Canal history and heritage

Discover the story of this great contour canal - with its trailblazing engineering solutions to link Edinburgh to the Forth & Clyde Canal, it was one of the last great feats of the canal-building era.

1793
The Union Canal was conceived as a direct route for the people of Edinburgh to access cheap sources of coal from the West.

1813
A survey is undertaken to link the proposed canal to the Forth & Clyde Canal.

1817
Construction is approved by an Act of Parliament.

1822
The Union Canal opens after only four years.

1849
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company takes ownership of the canal.

1906
Plans are drawn up for a distinctive lifting bridge at Fountainbridge, Edinburgh.

1921
The Eastern terminus of the canal is closed.

1933
The Western terminus is closed as commercial traffic ceases.

1930s -1960s
The decline continues with the infilling of the lock flight that linked the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal. The canal is culverted at Westerhailes and Broxburn to make way for roads.

1965
The Union Canal is formally closed to navigation.

2001
The canal is reopened as part of the £83.5m Millennium Link – the largest canal restorations anywhere in Britain.

2002
The Falkirk Wheel reconnects the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals for the first time in over 70 years.