Magnet fishing
We’ve signed the UK’s first magnet fishing agreement with Official Magnet Fishing Scotland. So now you can explore our canals as never before, fishing for metal objects with strong magnets.
Please note: If you’re planning to magnet fish you must have Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland and Permission from Scottish Canals, as the landowners.
If you wish to magnet fish on any of our waterways, you must first have:
- Permission from Scottish Canals (the landowners)
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland (because the canals are scheduled monuments)
Landowner’s permission
You must obtain contact Scottish Canals permission as the landowner. Please submit your request by email to enquiries@scottishcanals.co.uk - please ensure you include the following information:
Full Name, Address, Phone Number, Email Address.
Canal you are requesting permission to magnet fish on.
Exact location proposed (i.e. grid reference or what3words)
Date(s) of proposed activity
Method (i.e. from the bank or from a boat)
Confirm membership of magnet fishing group - if yes, which.
Scheduled Monument Consent
If we provide our consent, you can then apply for Scheduled Monument Consent directly to Historic Environment Scotland - HERE
Applications can take up to two months to be reviewed.
If you have any further questions, you can contact Historic Environment Scotland on hmenquiries@hes.scot.
Official Magnet Fishing Scotland already has Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland. This covers their members, so by joining you can take part in the activity as an individual or part of a group. Official Magnet Fishing Scotland currently has consent to magnet fish between Leamington Lift Bridge and Hermiston Aqueduct on the Union Canal. It’s also applying for consents to cover areas of the Forth & Clyde and Caledonian Canals. You can join Official Magnet Fishing Scotland by emailing officialmagnetfishingscotland@gmail.com or joining their Facebook group here.
Magnet fishing without consent
Scheduled Monument Consent is a legal requirement for magnet fishing on Scotland’s canals. Magnet fishing without this consent would be viewed as unauthorised work on a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland and could lead to fines of up to £50,000. You can read more about this here on Historic Environment Scotland’s website. Should you have any queries about Scheduled Monument Consent you can contact Historic Environment Scotland on hmenquiries@hes.scot.
Useful information
You can view our frequently asked questions on magnet fishing below.
Can I go magnet fishing on the canal?
To go magnet fish on Scotland’s canal network you require Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland.
Official Magnet Fishing Scotland now has consent from Historic Environment Scotland which covers members of their group.
As well as getting Scheduled Monument Consent, you’ll also need to contact Scottish Canals, as the landowner, and tell us where you would like to magnet fish. You can contact us at enquiries@scottishcanals.co.uk.
Is there a licence or costs for magnet fishing on the canal?
No, but you will require permission to magnet fish on Scotland’s canal network from Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Canals.
Will I be able to magnet fish as an individual or as part of a group?
You can apply for Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland as an individual or as a group.
Official Magnet Fishing Scotland have now been granted Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland which covers members of the group who can take part in the activity as an individual or as a group.
Where can I magnet fish?
When submitting an application for Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland you must apply for specific areas of the canal network.
Official Magnet Fishing Scotland now have consent for sections of the Union Canal. Further Scheduled Monument Consents will be submitted to cover areas of both the Caledonian Canal and Forth and Clyde Canal.
If I magnet fish without the consent what can happen?
To magnet fish on one of Scotland’s canals it is a legal requirement to have Scheduled Monument Consent. As set out in Section 2 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, magnet fishing on a canal without this consent would be viewed as unauthorised work on a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland and could lead to fines of up to £50,000. You can read more about this here on Historic Environment Scotland’s website.
Magnet fishing leaflet
The leaflet below contains information on magnet fishing in Scheduled Canals and protected waters