Lochrin Basin

Image: © kim traynor Taken: 3 Apr 2007

Redevelopment of the Lochrin basin of the Union Canal at Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. The canal was built to link Edinburgh with the Forth and Clyde Canal at the Bowling Basin in Falkirk. It was completed in 1822 and opened the following year, having cost £461,760. Among other goods such as sugar, tea and coffee, it conveyed mainly coal, quarried limestone and passengers (before the advent of the railways some 20 years later). The canal closed officially in 1962. The renewal of the basin has been part of an extensive clean-up of the canal which now meets the Forth and Clyde above the Falkirk Wheel. It takes at least 12 hours to travel its length of 31.5 miles (50.5 km). "For Coal, Coke and Charcoal, there is payable for the Edinburgh stage at the rate of five-eighths of a penny per ton per mile, and for the Broxburn and Linlithgow stages at the rate of one penny per ton per mile, and for the Redding stage no toll is at present charged. For Gunpowder, there is payable at the rate of fourpence per ton per mile for each of the four stages. For Passengers, there is payable a halfpenny per mile for each of the four stages of the Canal." (Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway Company* announcement, 1849) *the railway had bought out the canal company For an explanation of the stages, see Image

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