16th - 20th June: The Crossing
As part of this year’s Homecoming 2009 celebrations, the Caledonian Canal will play host to The Crossing, a spectacular five-day celebration featuring a flotilla of craft sailing from Neptune’s Staircase to Inverness accompanied by a full programme of water and land-based events along the way.
For more information please visit www.thecrossing2009.com
27th June: Edinburgh’s First Canals Festival
27th June will be a day of celebrations as Alistair Darling MP opens Edinburgh’s first ever canal festival. Edinburgh Quay will be buzzing with excitement as it hosts a wide variety of land and water based activities!
The Edinburgh Canal Festival is an initiative jointly funded by British Waterways Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council and coordinated by Re-Union, an established charity based on the Union Canal.
It aims to bring together local community groups, residents and local businesses to celebrate the city’s canal by raising awareness of the opportunities it offers and encouraging them to actively discover the benefits of such an asset. It is an event we would wish to grow each year culminating in events that connect all the canal communities across Scotland.
16th August 2009 - Linlithgow Union Canal Society (LUCS) Fun Day
The LUCS Fun Day and Cardboard Boat race is a long established event which attracts huge support from Linlithgow’s community.
29th & 30th August - Kirkintilloch Canal Festival
The Kirkintilloch Canal Festival celebrates the town and the Forth & Clyde Canal which runs through its heart. The 2009 celebration will feature Kirkintilloch's past, present and future, its history and rebirth, when we focus on the technology used for building Scottish Canals and its use around the world.
For more information please visit www.kirkintillochcanalfestival.org.uk
Autumn 2009 - Big Man Festival, Glasgow
The second annual Bigman Festival at Maryhill, organised by The Waterways Trust, aims to build on last year’s success and will see a day of fun, canal based activities including dragon boat racing, live music, sailing lessons and arts events.