Contour Canal

This afternoon my wife Liz and I went for a bike ride.
We cycled along the side of Edinburgh's canal.

It's an unusual canal because there are no locks on it to change the level (except where it joins the Forth-Clyde Canal at the Western end). Instead, the canal follows the contours of the ground at the same level almost the whole 32 mile route, from the Falkirk Wheel, right into the centre of Edinburgh. There are a couple of aquaducts over rivers and a tunnel under one hill, but they only cover short distances.

This meant that the canal could be constructed quickly with comparatively little digging or building of embankments. And boat traffic doesn't have to stop and queue up to pass through locks as on most other canals. But it does mean that the canal wends and winds its way across the countryside, and through the city of Edinburgh at its Eastern end. And the wiggly route extends the distance travelled from 24 miles as the crow flies, to 32 miles by boat. So if you're about to travel by the canal, make sure you know the true distance.

The curves and corners make the canal a delight to walk or cycle beside. There's always a new view opening up, and few long dreary straight stretches. And the towpath is almost completely flat. You can settle into a rythmn and charge along at full speed (except for passing children, dogs, and under the bridges). There were lots of those today, but it was a fun ride nonetheless.

The canal is a nice route to travel when you're travelling for fun. But in the old days when it was a major transport route for heavy goods, and for passengers too, it must have been hard work. The horses had to work hard to pull the boats. And the men had to work hard, not only guiding the horses, and steering the boats, but when a boat came from other direction, ropes had to be cast off, horses and boats guided past each other, and then hooked up again, all without losing boat speed and steerage way. You didn't want to meet another boat at a bridge!

Life's like that. It's pleasant when we don't have to work. But it's hard work to earn a living. And sometimes we meet obstructions and complications that stretch us to the limit. That's when we really know the value of an experienced companion. One who has been through life before and knows all its pitfalls. Someone who knows what lies ahead and can plot a safe route through the troubles. It's good to have a friend like that.