Scotland’s answer to The New York Highline unveiled

The Bowline

Scotland’s answer to the New York Highline has been unveiled at Bowling Harbour in West Dunbartonshire with the transformation of a disused railway viaduct into a state-of-the-art linear park and walking, wheeling and cycling route at the western gateway to the Lowland canals.

The Bowline, the jewel in the crown of a £10 million regeneration programme at Bowling Harbour, backed by funding from Transport Scotland, opened to the public on 24 September 2021.

The Bowline connects the Forth & Clyde Canal towpath to the wider National Cycle Network (NCN), providing virtually uninterrupted off-road access from Glasgow to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

The fully accessible linear park boasts breath-taking views over the historic canal to the River Clyde and beyond. A new, high-quality access ramp has also been installed, allowing everyone walking, wheeling and cycling to access the National Cycle Network route for everyday and leisure journeys.

To mark the opening, active travellers, including a unicyclist, cyclist, child bouncing on a space hopper and mobility scooter user, made the inaugural trip across The Bowline, cheered on by newly appointed Active Travel Minister - Patrick Harvie MSP, project funders and local residents.

National Cycle Network Route 7

The latest addition to National Cycle Network Route 7 means everyone, regardless of age or ability, can walk, wheel or cycle between Loch Lomond, Dumbarton and Glasgow on a virtually traffic-free route.

The harbour will benefit from the growing number of people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle across the nation, as more people give up the car and take to active travel.

In 2019 alone, active travellers made over 145 million trips along the National Walking and Cycling Network (NWCN), which includes the National Cycle Network, Scotland’s Great Trails and the canal towpath network, spending almost £2 billion and supporting around 27,000 jobs.

Bowling Harbour investment

The Bowline is the latest addition to Bowling Harbour, which has undergone significant investment to restore the age-old railway archways into commercial space for local businesses to flourish. The harbour is now home to several successful businesses including a gift shop, cycle workshop and a fan favourite café, all contributing to the local economy.

In the coming months more commercial spaces will open within the harbour including a flower shop in one of the railway arches and the reopening of Customs House, the once feared tax man’s collection point on the canal, as a holiday accommodation.

The investment in Bowling Harbour will not only promote tourism, help tackle health inequalities and fight climate change by promoting carbon neutral travel, but act as a catalyst for further investment around the area.

The wider regeneration of Bowling Harbour was funded by; Scottish Canals, Sustrans Scotland, West Dunbartonshire Council, Coastal Communities Fund (administered by the Big Lottery), Historic Environment Scotland, The Scottish Government, Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER Programme (through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).

Opening weekend

On its opening weekend, The Bowline welcomed its first event when hundreds of people passed over the newly opened structure as part of The Scottish Kiltwalk which took place on Sunday 26 September 2021.

Further information

Scottish Canals is responsible to the Scottish Government for the management and development of the Union, Monkland, Forth & Clyde, Crinan and Caledonian Canals.

As well as the waterways themselves, Scottish Canals care for 251 bridges, 212 buildings, 256 locks, The Falkirk Wheel, The Kelpies and 19 water supply reservoirs in locations across Scotland.

The reservoirs cover an area equivalent to 7,494 football pitches and supply the canals with the 332 million litres of water which flow through them each day.

For more information, visit scottishcanals.co.uk or follow @ScottishCanals on Twitter.

Scott Lamond at Scottish Canals on 07881816283 or email Scott.Lamond@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Josie Saunders at Scottish Canals on 07767383557 or email Josie.Saunders@scottishcanals.co.uk.