When the Great Canal - as it was once called - opened in 1790,
it was the biggest single venture undertaken in Scotland up to that
time and a source of great national pride. It provided vital trade
and transport links, with over 3 million tonnes of goods and
200,000 passengers being transported each year by the mid 1800's.
Glasgow's Canal was at the heart of this boom, spawning industries
such as timber mills, glass works and foundries.
Thirsty Work
Breweries and distilleries also sprang up along the banks of the
canal in Glasgow, with Port Dundas being the largest distillery in
the world at one time.
Trumped by the train
It wasn't long before the canal was overtaken by power and speed
of the railway and sunk into disuse and disrepair. In 1963 the
canal ceased to be a navigable waterway.
Millennium Link
The canal was reopened in 2001 as part of the £78m Millennium
Link - the largest canal restoration ever in Britain. The project
incorporated the construction of the iconic Falkirk Wheel which
reconnected the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals for the first
time in over 70 years.
A symbol of regeneration
Now the Glasgow branch of the Forth and Clyde Canal stands for
the renewal of communities in North Glasgow.