26 March 2015
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Tall masted ship returns to Glasgow
The first tall masted ship to sail the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal in more than a century completed its inaugural voyage to the city's Speirs Wharf this week. ...
Tall masted ship returns to Glasgow Images
The first tall masted ship to sail the Glasgow branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal in more than a century completed its inaugural voyage to the city's Speirs Wharf this week.
Once a common sight on the canal during its industrial heyday in the 18th and early 19th centuries, tall-masted ships were the workhorses that stoked the fires of the industrial revolution, carrying coal, sugar, tobacco and more to and from the commercial hub of Speirs Wharf.
The Dutch barge, named the MV Hume, is a 114-year-old vessel which has been restored by Scottish Canals over the past year in order to prepare it for a new life as an unusual Glasgow holiday let.
A CHAMPION OF THE WATERWAYS
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Named after Professor John Hume OBE, the vessel carried the eponymous canal champion, who was instrumental in the restoration of the nation's waterways at the turn of the Millennium, as well as Scottish Canals' Chief Executive Steve Dunlop and Bailie Liz Cameron, along the Forth & Clyde Canal to the barge¹s new home in Speirs Wharf. The event also coincided with the 225th anniversary of the construction of the waterway.
Professor Hume said: 'Having the barge named after me is such an honour. When I first became interested in Scotland’s canals in the 1960s, they were in decline and in danger of disappearing entirely. Today, all of that has changed and I’ve been delighted to witness and play some small role in their revitalisation.
'When I put forward the proposal for Millennium funding in the mid-1990s, I knew that the restoration of the canal network would be a fantastic asset for central Scotland but their popularity has exceeded my wildest expectations. The Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies have encouraged millions of people to engage with the incredible environments and history of Scotland’s canals and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.'
For more information on Scotland's canals, visit the Scottish Canals website.
Read our special feature on ten things to do in Glasgow.
(Images copyright DevlinPhoto Ltd)
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Once a common sight on the canal during its industrial heyday in the 18th and early 19th centuries, tall-masted ships were the workhorses that stoked the fires of the industrial revolution, carrying coal, sugar, tobacco and more to and from the commercial hub of Speirs Wharf.
The Dutch barge, named the MV Hume, is a 114-year-old vessel which has been restored by Scottish Canals over the past year in order to prepare it for a new life as an unusual Glasgow holiday let.
A CHAMPION OF THE WATERWAYS
Professor Hume said: 'Having the barge named after me is such an honour. When I first became interested in Scotland’s canals in the 1960s, they were in decline and in danger of disappearing entirely. Today, all of that has changed and I’ve been delighted to witness and play some small role in their revitalisation.
'When I put forward the proposal for Millennium funding in the mid-1990s, I knew that the restoration of the canal network would be a fantastic asset for central Scotland but their popularity has exceeded my wildest expectations. The Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies have encouraged millions of people to engage with the incredible environments and history of Scotland’s canals and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.'
For more information on Scotland's canals, visit the Scottish Canals website.
Read our special feature on ten things to do in Glasgow.
(Images copyright DevlinPhoto Ltd)
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