Living in an urban environment in Scotland’s capital city is much like any other city until you reach the picturesque Union Canal. Snuggled in a quiet pocket of Edinburgh city centre in the concrete jungle of the Lochrin Basin floats an array of multi-coloured boats bobbing about on moorings, reflecting and sparkling over the water, brightening up the local area. If you look closely you will see a whole vibrant community living and working on the canal. This colourful floating community is one of Edinburgh’s most unique ways of life and holds dear the old Edinburgh spirit of sharing spaces and cultures with people from all different walks of life. Living in harmony and enjoying creating unique space to live and work. Amongst the commercial operators there is Tectonica, probably the most unique architect’s office I have ever seen. The glossy dark blue with white trim wide beam barge is configured into a modern spacious office space. Owned by a lovely family of Architects, Tectonica is a sleek addition to the canal. Moored alongside Tectonica is the vibrant purple narrowboat called Black grouse, one of a fleet of 3, Black Grouse is the office space or the social enterprise Re-Union Canal Boats. Re-Union is an invaluable asset to the canal providing a community space for events and hosting workshops. They play a huge part in the organisation of the local community events and are pro-active in organising residential meet ups as well as engaging the residents and wider community in a variety of ways about how the canal is run and looked after often becoming a spokesperson for the local boating community with Scottish Canals. As well as The Four Sisters Boatel there is The Counter coffee boat serves the most delicious coffee and home baking it is a seasonal floating coffee shop. Painted a pale blue colour this tiny coffee boat provided towpath users with a delicious coffee stop when walking, running or cycling along the canal. All of the canal businesses are independently owned and add a different dynamic to Edinburgh.

Further along the canal are the residential boats styled in their own distinctive way with multi-coloured paint and quirky names, ‘Game Bird’ is one that jumps out. The lifestyle on board a canal boat encourages creativity and individuality. No two boats are the same and no two problems have the same solution. Boaters are a combination of artist, engineer, project manager, joiner, plumber, painter and more. Learning new practical skills is an unavoidable challenge faced by all boaters and each boat has its own unique way of functioning. You will find an imaginative array of solutions to problems on boats along the canal. From collecting fresh water and homemade water filter systems to solar powered fully self-sustainable boats. These unique thought processes and the community spirit and atmosphere on the canal allows for boaters to share ideas and concepts as well as skills and create a distinctive vibrant canal spirit.

Residential boats moored alongside new build flats

Residential boats moored along Viewforth

There are often canal events organised to bring the community together. The largest of these is the annual Canal Festival held in the Lochrin Basin. The event brings up to 5000 people to the canal throughout the day and celebrates the canal and the canal community. There is a team raft race, a bandstand with music and performances, pony rides and much more. These community events are organised and ran by the local boaters and community and provide an essential link to the wider community and allows the residents of the canal to connect with the local residents in the area. It is an event all the boaters look forward to and enjoy taking part in. There is also the annual Flotilla of lights event where the boaters decorate their boats in lights and sail from Falkirk to Edinburgh playing music and waving to the crowds gathered along the bank side. This event marks the anniversary of the re-opening of the Forth and Clyde Canal in 2001.

Life on the Canal

48 hours in Edinburgh

History Of The Union Canal

The Four Sisters Boatel