Built between 1818 and 1822, the Union Canal was designed by engineer Hugh Baird with input from Thomas Telford (as a curious tidbit, the notorious Edinburgh murderers, Burke and Hare, worked as labourers on the canal). Its purpose was to connect Edinburgh with the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk, creating a continuous water route from Scotland’s capital to the west coast. Using tunnels and aqueducts rather than locks, it followed a 240-foot contour line for 31 miles, allowing for smooth, horse-drawn transport of coal, lime, stone and passengers.
For a few decades, the canal thrived, carrying up to 300,000 tonnes of cargo annually, and pleasure boats too. But, due to the arrival of Big Train – which had the audacity to run almost alongside the water from the 1840s,…
