Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in at the slipway by the Linlithgow Union Canal Society's basin at Manse Road, a few minutes' walk from the station, and paddle west along the Union Canal. It follows a single contour round the south side of the town, with views back to Linlithgow Palace and St Michael's Church, then out through farmland and woods to the Avon Aqueduct: twelve arches carrying the canal 26 m above the River Avon, the longest and tallest aqueduct in Scotland. Cross it, turn at the far end and come back.
It is 9 km there and back; allow about 2 hours in a canoe or kayak and 2½ on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy: flat, still water with no locks, but the aqueduct trough is narrow and high above the valley, so cross in single file and wait if a boat is coming.
No licence is needed in Scotland; Scottish Canals ask paddlers to register their trip in advance, free. From 26 October to 18 November 2026 Manse Road bridge, by the basin, is being repaired, with a towpath diversion and traffic controls on the road. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Over the Avon Aqueduct, the longest and tallest in Scotland
- A contour canal with no locks: the Union Canal keeps one level for 50 km
- From the Linlithgow Union Canal Society's basin at Manse Road
- Views back to Linlithgow Palace and St Michael's
On the water
- Put in: Slipway 55.97506, -3.59774
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- Rules and licences: Scottish Canals. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Linlithgow Canal Basin. 55.97506, -3.59774
By train: Linlithgow station is 0.2 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Linlithgow: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.