Top 5 canal boat holidays on the Scottish Lowland Canals

The Forth & Clyde Canal links the Irish Sea with the North Sea, running from Bowling on the Clyde Estuary, to Grangemouth and the magnificent Kelpies on the Firth of Forth.

The Union Canal is linked to the Forth & Clyde Canal at Falkirk by the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s first rotating boat lift.  At the other end it reaches Edinburgh, terminating at Edinburgh Quay in the City Centre.

Together these two canals make up the Scottish Lowland Canals.  Drifters offers canal boat hire from Falkirk.  Here are Drifters’ Top 5 canal boat holidays on the Scottish Lowland Canals:

1. Cruise to Linlithgow & back

On a three-night weekend break canal boat holiday-makers can cruise the Union Canal to Linlithgow and back. The route begins by heading up through the first manned lock into the basin and going up the Falkirk Wheel. Then on through Roughmute Tunnel, followed by another two manned locks. The journey continues along the Union Canal, going through the Falkirk Tunnel and then crossing over the Avon Aqueduct. After enjoying miles of peaceful countryside, boaters will reach the historic town of Linlithgow and can visit the remains of Linlithgow Palace on the shores of Linlithgow Loch, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The journey to Linlithgow and back takes around eight hours.

***The 62ft ‘Lautrec’ narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a weekend break from Falkirk 20-23 June 2025 for £1,678, saving £21.  Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, damage waiver, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is charged on return, circa £10-15 per day.  For boats starting at Falkirk there’s an additional licence of £15 for three nights, £25 for longer, payable on arrival.

2. Travel through the Scottish Lowlands to Edinburgh

From Drifters’ canal boat hire base at Falkirk, Edinburgh Quay is a sedate 12-hour journey along the peaceful Union Canal.  Perfect for a week’s holiday, the trip starts with a passage through the Falkirk Wheel, and then passes through the lovely lowland villages of Linlithgow, Broxburn and Ratho.  Visitor moorings are available at Edinburgh Quay, just a five-minute walk from Princes Street. From there you can visit the City’s many attractions, including Edinburgh Castle and Mary King Close, frozen in time beneath the Royal Mile.

***The 48ft ‘Princess’ narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a week from Falkirk 14-21 April 2025 for £1,573, saving £76.  Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, damage waiver, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is charged on return, circa £10-15 per day.  For boats starting at Falkirk there’s an additional licence of £15 for three nights, £25 for longer, payable on arrival.

3. Glide along the Forth & Clyde to visit Glasgow

From Falkirk, it’s a peaceful nine-hour cruise along the Forth & Clyde Canal to the City of Glasgow – perfect for a four-night break.  Along the way, boaters will travel 22 miles and will pass through four locks.  There are also four bridges that must be pre-booked to be opened. This scenic route passes through Auchinstarry, the River Kelvin Valley with magnificent views of the Campsie Fells above, and the town of Kirkintillock.  There are moorings at Applecross Street Basin, with access to Glasgow’s wealth of museums, galleries and cultural centres, including the Hunterian Museum.

***The 62ft ‘Princess Signature’ narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a four night break from Falkirk 9-12 July 2025 for £2,046, saving £153.  Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, damage waiver, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is charged on return, circa £10-15 per day.  For boats starting at Falkirk there’s an additional licence of £15 for three nights, £25 for longer, payable on arrival.

4. Navigate to Bowling & back

On a 10-day or two-week break from Falkirk, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel along the Forth & Clyde Canal, following the Clyde Estuary all the way down to the old ship building village of Bowling in West Dunbartonshire.  The route has a rich mix of industry old and new, as well as stunning views of the Clyde and relics of the ship building era.  Along the way, boaters will pass through Auchinstarry, the site of a Roman fort, and Kirkintilloch, which dates back to the 13^th century.  The journey to Bowling and back travels 58 miles, passing through 48 locks and takes around 32 cruising hours.  The journey from Lock 27 to Bowling Sea Lock must be booked in advanced and must be completed in one go. This takes eight hours. And you need to book it coming back as well.

***The 66ft ‘Desert Lark’ narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a two-week break from Falkirk 6-20 September 2025 for £3,599, saving £1,199.  Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bedding, towels and two pets.  Fuel is extra – a £50 deposit is taken for short breaks (three or four nights), £90 for a week.  Charge based on use, circa £15 per day.  Second pet is charged at £30. For boats starting at Falkirk there’s an additional licence of £15 for three nights, £25 for longer, payable on arrival.

5. See the largest pair of equine statues on the planet

At 30-metres high, the magnificent Kelpies stand at the gateway to the new extension to the Forth & Clyde Canal, by the River Carron.  Based on the heavy horses that one plied the canal towpaths, these mythical water horses are an extraordinary site and form part of a new 350-hectare Helix park at the end of the canal extension at Grangemouth. Scottish Canals has launched the new Kelpies Experience allowing visitors to climb into the mouth of one of the statues, ascending 25 metres using a series of ladders, cable crossings, suspended platforms and nets.  Visitors can descend by abseil or quick flight, giving the feeling of free falling before being gently lowered to the ground. Lock repair works in 2025 mean boaters can only cruise as far as Lock 16. From there it’s a three-mile walk down to the Kelpies. It takes just 15 minutes to cruise to Lock 16 from Falkirk Basin so this excursion can be added on to a trip to Edinburgh or Glasgow if booked for a week. From spring 2026, boaters will be able to cruise all the way to the Kelpies. This journey is four miles and passes through 14 locks. So the journey to the Kelpies and back takes around eight hours.

***The 52ft ‘Princess Signature’ narrowboat for up to six people is currently available for a week from Falkirk 20-26 August 2025 for £2,518, saving £181.  Price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, damage waiver, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is charged on return, circa £10-15 per day.  For boats starting at Falkirk there’s an additional licence of £15 for three nights, £25 for longer, payable on arrival.

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk

For more information about visiting the canals in Scotland go to www.scottishcanals.co.uk

 

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