Tea with Edinburgh Union Canal Society

The Edinburgh Union Canal opened in 1822 to transport coal and other goods into the city.  It closed to commercial traffic in the 1960s, but is now busy with rowers, canal boats and wildlife. Ford Buchanan is treasurer of the Edinburgh Union Canal Society, and he welcomed me for tea beside the well loved boathouse on Ashley Terrace, and we talked about how the society manages the age old tradition of Sunday afternoon boating and its role in supporting activities on the canal. We also talked about plans to build a new boathouse on the site and how people can come along and enjoy the society's events, which seem to involve quite a lot of cake, as well as its role in hiring out their own boats on a Sunday afternoon. 

So listen into our chat and  you'll hear school rowing boats and friends passing by and how Edinburgh's notorious Burke & Hare started out working on the canal. 

To view the Boathouse on Ashley Terrace and rent rowing boats go here

To find out more about EUCS: https://www.eucs.org.uk/