Projects

[1181] Ratho Canal Jump

Ratho has been a key place in the restoration of the Union Canal. In the 1970s this was one of the first sections to be revitalized after the canal had fallen into disuse. Through the hard work and vision of the Bridge Inn's owner, they began to offer canal trips and launched the Pride of the Union, a unique restaurant boat. Great success and popularity led to more boats and cruises with the Pride of Belhaven and the Ratho Princess. The Inn also became known as the Edinburgh Canal Centre and attracted many visitors including the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984. For many years, the Inn's proprietor held a charitable "canal jump" competition, and these images document those events.

Location of Project Material: Lothian

[1180] Edinburgh Canal Basin Opening Ceremony

The Union Canal was restored as a Millennium project, reopening the section from Ratho to Edinburgh that had been broken at Wester Hailes. This series of images, kindly contributed by Seagull Trust Cruises, documents the reopening.

Keywords: canal, opening, Edinburgh, new

Location of Project Material: Lothian

[1179] Three Boats built for the Seagull Trust

This set of images tells the story of three boats built for British shipbuilders for Seagull Trust Cruises; the “Yarrow Seagull” completed in 1984 by Yarrow Shipbuilders at a cost of about £10,000 for the Kirkintilloch branch of the Trust;the “Govan Seagull” completed in 1984 by Govan shipbulders at a cost of about £7,000 for the Falkirk branch of the Trust; and the “Mackay Seagull” completed in 1986 by Cammel Laird at a cost of about £12,000 for the Ratho (Edinburgh) branch of the Trust and named after the founding secretary of the Trust Rev Hugh Mackay.

Seagull Trust Cruises is a Scottish Charity providing free canal cruises for the elderly and people with special needs.

Keywords: barge, disability, special needs, charity, shipbuilding, Govan

Location of Project Material: Lothian

[1178] Janet Telford & the Seagull Trust

The Janet Telford was the second boat in the Seagull Trust’s Ratho fleet, and was designed and partly built by staff at Edinburgh's Telford and Stevenson Colleges. These images tell its story. Seagull Trust Cruises is a Scottish Charity providing free canal cruises for the elderly and people with special needs. It has branches in Ratho (Edinburgh), Falkirk, Kirkintilloch and Inverness.

Keywords: barge, canal, charity, disability

Location of Project Material: Lothian

[1177] St John Crusader and the Seagull Trust

A series of images from on the archives of Ronnie Rusack MBE, landlord of the Bridge Inn Ratho 1972-2005, founding member, honorary life member and former Chairman of the Seagull Trust (2005-2013). The Trust was set up to offer free canal trips to people with special needs. One of the boats the Trust operated was The St John Crusader, named in a ceremony on the Union Canal at Sighthill, Edinburgh on 28 May 1979. The Order of St. John of Jerusalem provided much of the money for her acquisition. This set of pictures tells its story.

Keywords: boat, barge, canal, charity, disability, canal

Location of Project Material: Lothian

[1176] Photographs by Colin Cooper

Images of historic buildings and events captured by Scottish photographer Colin Cooper.

Location of Project Material: All over Scotland