A NICE DAY ON THE CANAL GOING TO RATHO

 Off to Ratho 100626:

 

 

I was up early and put the kettle on and had a cup of tea. I then cooked up some of the bacon we bought and toasted some crumpets for breakfast. 

I did run the bilge pump for a bit and will run it some more after we start the engine. Our laundry clothes are mostly dry. 



 

 

We are trying to remember to record the hours we are running the engine as we were told we need to run it for about 5 hours a day to keep a charge on the batteries. 



 

The plan for today is to cruise about 4 hours to Ratho. And spend the night there before cruising to Edinburgh tomorrow. 

Ratho stands on the south-east side of the plain of the River Almond and feels oddly secluded despite being only eight miles in a straight line from the center of  Edinburgh  and under two from Edinburgh Airport. The name is thought by some to come from the old Gaelk for fortress, and while no remains of an ancient fortress exist, it is clear that the village dates back at least a thousand years.

 
Ratho itself grew steadily until 1822. That was the year in which the Union Canal opened, linking Edinburgh to Falkirk and the Forth and Clyde Canal. The canal is 31½ miles long and follows the 240ft or 73.1m contour the whole way, thus avoiding the need for any locks throughout its length. It just so happens that the 240ft contour passes through Ratho between the main part of the village and St Mary's Church, and the Union Canal follows it. Two miles west of Ratho the canal crosses the River Almond via the spectacular Lin’s Mill Aqueduct.

For a golden age of 20 years until the advent of the rail service, the Union Canal was part of the quickest and most reliable route across Scotland and Ratho grew in importance with it. But when the railway linked Edinburgh and Glasgow it took a more northerly and lower route. Ratho Station is actually a separate settlement a mile to the north on the A8: and even it no longer has a station.

 
Our lines were cast off at 0815 and steered a course towards Edinburgh with a stop for the night at Ratho. 

We sailed under many a bridge, over a couple  aqueducts, around many a bend, through the forests, by the farmlands, dodging sightseeing boats, canoes, and a machine cleaning up the canals. All in all a very relaxing day. 

 

 

                    LOTS O BRIDGES TODAY - 33 total 

 



We did make a stop about an hour out of Ratho to top up our water. We still don’t know the capacity but are frugal with our use. There we grabbed a sandwich for lunch and a bathroom break. 



 

This machine was cleaning out the weeds from the side of the canal

Danger Canoeist ahead, I had to go to reverse as they could not maneuver the canoe

                                   These signs help ya know how far away places are

At times the forest next to the canal was dark and thick, one would expect Robin of Locksley to appear at any moment.  

 

Today's weather was cloudy but as we got to Ratho some sun started to shine through. 

 

                                   Very pretty aqueduct 

                                            Sheep
 

 



At Ratho, we moored at the visitor moorings near The Bridge Inn. Thus far we are the only ones here at  this time. I decided I needed some garlic for our spaghetti tonight and we wanted to visit the local church. (The Church was closed). 

 

                        To-night's mooring her in Ratho

                                       St Mary's Church

                            KEWL PO BOX decorations 

                               Seagull Trust Cruises Base 

                                         The LYRA 
 

We did find a Premier Market and got the garlic, an Irn-Bru, and an ice cream bar. 

Heading back to Lyra we made a stop at The Bridge Inn for a drink, it was very quiet as we were the only ones there. 

Three of the boats we encountered today were from the Seagull Trust Cruises. 

 

This is a great organization as they provide free cruises for those with special needs and the elderly with mobility issues. They have three boats at Ratho: St John Edinburgh, St John Crusader II, and Mackay Seagull. All are fully accessible with lifts to accommodate those with mobility problems or in wheelchairs. Each has a wheelchair friendly toilet and a galley. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.



 

After having a drink at The Bridge Inn we walked to their base hoping to provide them with some support. Sadly they were closed, but might stop on the way back. 



 

Back on the Lyra, I made a Branston Pickle sandwich while Lynn did laundry. Soon I will start the pasta, but first BOAT CHORES.



 

On the way here Lynn missed the alligator so maybe on the return. 

 



Quiet hours on the canal are from 0800 to 2000hrs and there is no cruising after dark. Our strategy has been to start early and get to our destination early to get a good mooring, thus far this has worked. 



 

One item I wish  had brought was a thermal coffee cup. The cups provided are nice but do not hold in the heat. Might have to find one in Edinburgh tomorrow. 



A GRAND DAY IN LINLITHGOW

 A DAY IN LINLITHGOW: 



 Surprisingly the Sleep Monster must have bit me as I actually slept almost 12 hours. I normally sleep 4-6 hours. All the hub bub just catching up with us and we must be settling in. 



 

 

The skies are still overcast and there is a good wind blowing. The clouds are not as thick as yesterday so we may see the sun.  

This morning the kettle is on for tea and scones. Mind you they are not Mrs. McCarthy’s AWARD WINNING STRAWBERRY SCONES, but still nice. 

Before I forget, I must mention that along the union canal runs the John Muir Way. The John Muir Way traverses the heartland of Scotland – a unique journey through the country’s natural, cultural and industrial heritage. This route opened in April 2014, and is named after John Muir (1838-1914), the famous conservationist and co-founder of our (America’s) National Parks. It runs from Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde to Dunbar on the North Sea, taking in Scotland’s first national park, its historic canals and its capital city Edinburgh. It features a wide range of scenery – from upland paths in the west, through rolling farmland, canal towpaths, woodlands and country parks, to beaches and cliff-tops on the east coast. 


The plan for the day is to explore Linlithgow as there is a lot of history here along with shops and pubs. 

 

Linlithgow is a small town in The Lothians in central lowland Scotland, 20 miles west of Edinburgh. It's a commuter town for the city, with a population in 2020 of 12,840. Its main attraction is the ruined palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, overlooking the town and scenic loch.

The town was founded as Lithgow, llaith cau, the damp hollow, and lynn llaith cau was the lake causing the dampness; eventually Linlithgow came to mean the town itself. It was astride the route from Edinburgh to Stirling, Perth and the Highlands so it became a stop-over and acquired a medieval palace. Mary Stuart was born at the palace in 1542 and just five days later became Queen of Scotland when her father James V died. The country was therefore ruled by regents and at age six Mary was sent to France for safety and to contract a dynastic marriage with the heir to the French throne.

St Michaels Parish Church,  One of Scotland's finest medieval churches, completed in 1540. It fell into disrepair in the 19th century and the crown steeple (resembling St Giles, Edinburgh) had to be dismantled, but in 1964 an aluminum crown was installed. It remains in use as a Church of Scotland: it's not to be confused with St Michael's Roman Catholic church nearby, one of Pugin's Gothic creations completed in 1893. 

Small museum of town life: local industries and features. The prolific Tam Dalyell's typewriter is among the historic artifacts, amazing it didn't melt in a white heat of keys. The nearby Annet House museum has closed. 

There is also a plaque commemorating the birth of Montgomery Scott the Star Trek character Scotty.  

We secured Lyra and headed into the Town of Linlithgow. We found High Street as it is the main street in town. Here you find many small shops, tea rooms, bakeries etc. 

 



Our first stop was going to be the Museum but alas it was closed but were able to acquire a photo of the plaque commemorating the birth of Montgomery Scott. Scotty from Star Trek. 



Just across High Street is The Cross, the center of Linlithgow. Here we find a most ornately carved structure. What makes it so special is it was hand carved by a man with just one hand. 

 

 



Next we continued on to the Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Restoration work continues and rightly fully so as this is a rather impressive building. 

We did climb the 144 steps to get a great view of the loch. 

 

 



Next we visited St Michaels Church. I was quite taken by the stained glass. 

 

 

 



Back on High Street we found a post office and mailed some post cards. 

Now it is time to start a Pub Crawl. Our first stop was the 4 Marys named for the handmaidens of Queen Mary. 

 

 

 



In-between pub stops we went to Linlithgow DIY. This is a small hardware store with lots of fun items. I enjoy getting kitchen gadgets from such places. We found some dog treats and a Duck Toast Tong.  A pleasant chat with the owner.  

 



Our next Pub was the Old Post Office. Here we ordered the Steak and Ale pie along with Haggis Bon Bons. This was a very filling meal. 



 

 

Then a quick stop at TESCO for some good bacon, more crackers and some digestives.


Then we made our way back to Lyra. Time top up our water and take showers. 

After our heavy lunch I think we will snack on some nice cheese we found at a local deli. 



I will say the warmth of all the people we have encountered has been a true joy. Chatting with the Deli owner, the school crossing Guard, dog walkers and people in the church, has really been a blessing. 

 



I should mention after watering up we moved Lyra to the other side of the canal. I think we will have less wind here. I did the evening maintenance chore and the weed hatch was clean of weeds.  

                I deserved an IRN-BRU after all that work

 



Tomorrow we will continue on towards Edinburgh, maybe stop in Ratho, we will just have to see. 



Thanks to all for reading about our journey. Do share if you wish.