Moorings Information Pack

In receiving this booklet you have either just become a customer of Scottish Canals or have made an enquiry as to the availability of a mooring with the intention to bring a boat on to the canal!

We realise that if you are new to boating buying and getting the boat to its berth can seem a complex operation but hopefully this easy to follow guide to mooring with Scottish Canals will help you settle into life on the canal and enjoy recreational activities on the water.

If you have any concerns or questions please get in touch with your local mooring team and they will be happy to help.

Forth & Clyde and Union Canals

• Email - moorings@scottishcanals.co.uk
• Telephone - 0141 332 6936

Caledonian Canal

• Email - caledonian@scottishcanals.co.uk
• Telephone - 01463 725 550

Crinan Canal

• Email - enquiries@scottishcanals.co.uk
• Telephone - 01546 603 210

In order to bring your boat on to the Scottish Canals network you will need to make sure that your vessel is in good shape both mechanically and aesthetically.

The application form will have to be completed, signed and returned to the office dealing with your application.

In addition we will ask for the following documents;

We have an obligation to ensure that all boats are safe to travel on the canals. The Boat Safety Scheme, or BSS, is a public safety initiative owned by Canal & River Trust and the Environment Agency. It's purpose is to help minimise the risk of boat fires, explosions or pollution harming visitors, staff or any user of the inland waterways.

It is mandatory that all craft on the Scottish Canals have either a current BSS Certificate, an MCA certificate or a signed declaration whilst on the network.

In order to ensure that your boat is safe we ask that a BSS Certificate is carried out and the paperwork is sent to us prior to your entry to the canal. Details of the BSS Certificate and examiners can be found on the  Boat Safety Scheme Website . Unless you make any changes to your boat that would affect the certification it is only required every 4 years.

Please note that your insurance can be null and void if your BSS Certificate has expired.

Please refer to the diagram below to see if your boat requires a BSS Certificate.

It is a requirement of our terms and conditions that you must have current insurance cover prior entering the canal. We require a copy of your Policy Schedule that shows the expiry date. This is normally an annual policy and has to cover public liability for at least £3 Million and include recovery in the case of submersion. A copy of the annual renewal has to be sent into the mooring team to be verified and certified compliant. 

Scottish Canals are a great location for spotting wildlife and are home to some interesting species of birds, fish and mammals. In order for us to preserve this natural environment we require all of vessels to be hot pressure washed to ensure that the hull of their vessels are suitably clear of all species, mussels etc.

This needs to be carried out in line with our Interim Guidance for Biosecurity for Submerged Structures. We will require confirmation from the contractor or boat yard that this has been carried out in line with this guidance before entry to the canal and we will require you to provide a signed declaration to be returned with your application.

To ensure that all moorings remain a pleasure to visit Scottish Canals require that all boats compliment the local environment, are safe and of good quality and kept in excellent order. This includes the overall aesthetics of any varnish and outside paintwork and external fittings and fixtures. Recent photographs will have to be submitted with your application form, which will be vetted to ensure that the Boat Standards are met before the offer of the mooring is confirmed. 

Fees differ from location to location, the type of berth you are considering, whether it be residential, leisure or commercial and the type of boat you are buying. Your local mooring team will be able to give you an accurate breakdown of the fees for your berth and location.  

Your Navigation Licence is charged as an annual fee. This allows you to navigate any of the Scottish Canals network for the term of your licence. This will be sent to you in the form of a paper disc that you need to display on both sides of your boat. This will stipulate the name of your boat, size of your boat, your mooring location and expiry date of the licence.

When your licence is renewed, a new disc will be automatically sent to you. Regular boat checks will be undertaken throughout the year so please ensure it is prominently displayed on both sides so that it can be easily seen. If you do not receive your discs within 6 weeks of arriving on to the canal, please get in touch.

Monthly Payments

We will ask you to complete a Direct Debit Mandate Form in order to pay in 12 equal instalments. The hard copy has to be returned, by post. Please be aware that the offer of this facility will be on completion of a satisfactory credit check.

Payment in Full

This can be done once your application has been processed and your account set up.

• By telephone by Debit or Credit card
• By post - by cheque or postal order
• By BACS, CHAPS and Faster Payment

If you have any queries regarding making payment required please contact the Finance Department on 0141 332 6936 who will be able to help you.

Once your mooring has been secured, there are three options to get your boat on to the canal network. 

The first is to arrange to bring your boat through one of the sea locks. You must arrange this by phone and is subject to tide times at the following locations;

Forth & Clyde Canal/Union Canal

• West – Bowling Sea Lock, Bowling - 01389 877 969
• East – Grangemouth Sea Lock, Grangemouth - 01324 483 034

Caledonian Canal

• West – Corpach Sea Lock, Corpach, Fort William - 01463 725 521
• East – Clachnaharry Sea Lock, Inverness – 01463 725 512 or 07920 237331

Crinan Canal

• North - Crinan Sea Lock 01546 830285
• South - Ardrishaig Sea Lock 01546 602458
• Main Office - 01546 603210

The details of how to navigate into the sea locks are detailed within the Skippers Guides for each canal and can be downloaded for each canal from  here .

The second option is to arrange to be craned into the canal directly. Please be aware that this is only available at certain locations and is subject to you arranging for your own mobile crane and Haulage Company to place the boat into the canal. Details of these companies can be found  here .

As the canals are a Scheduled Monument great care has to be taken to minimise the risk of any damage and this option will need to be arranged and approved beforehand by our Third Party Works Manager and will be subject to an additional charge by Scottish Canals.

If your preference is having your vessel craned in please discuss with your local mooring team. 

Depending on the size of the vessel, it may be possible to get your boat transported on a trailer and slipped in at one of the various slipways throughout the network. Please ask your local Mooring Team for the available options. 

For transiting to your mooring and enjoying the leisure activities on the canals please contact the local offices before starting your journey.

Scottish Canals’ staff operate most lock gates, bridges and sea locks on your behalf on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals and some on the Caledonian Canal and Crinan Canals.

This means that any journeys you carry out must be booked ahead through the Boat Movement teams in the Lowlands, Crinan and Caledonian. They will be able to advise of opening times for locks and bridges, any works that may affect passage and any activity that may be taking place along your route to allow you to fully enjoy the canal network at your leisure.

The Boat Movements team are also able to arrange pump outs and refuelling when required at the various locations. Please be aware that there are no pump out facilities on the Crinan Canal.

Lowlands Canals

Please phone our Boat Movements team on 07810 794 467 who will advise and arrange the times for passage.

Caledonian Canal

• Seaport Marina: - 01463 725500
• Clachnaharry Sea Lock 01463725512 or 07920237331

Crinan Canal

Pier Square, Ardrishaig 01546 603210

A BWB key is supplied once your account has been set up and your boat is in the water. This key will give you access to all boaters facilities across the Scottish Canals network.

If you require extra keys these can be purchased separately.

On arrival, you will be required to take a meter reading from the meter that corresponds to your socket and advise the local mooring team of this reading and the date it was taken. Likewise, when you leave the canal you will need to take a final reading to ensure you are not charged for subsequent usage on that bollard.

The electricity is billed quarterly in addition to your mooring fee. This is charged at a rate per unit used and a set standing charge per day. Please be advised that even if you use no units of electricity in a quarter you will be charged the standing charge.

As you are responsible for the electricity drawn at the bollard allocated it is suggested that if you are going cruising, take a meter reading on leaving and again on your return. If there is any difference in the reading, please let us know immediately. There are products on the market that you can purchase to block off your plug in to avoid misuse by other passing boaters. 

Please remember to not overload the electricity on board. A 16amp supply will not support the same amount of electricity usage as that in a house. Should the electricity be overloaded the bollard will trip. You can switch the fuse on most bollards back on yourself. If you still do not have any electricity check that the issue is not on your boat and then contact Scottish Canals who will come and check the bollard for you. Please note that if the fault is tracked back to a fault in your equipment then you may incur call out charges. 

More information can be found  here .

Where water is provided this will be from the service bollard. This will be from a tap on the side of the bollard. You will require a hose to top up your fresh water tank on the boat. Please be advised that we do not sell these and you will need to purchase this yourself.

Water on board the vessel is provided free of charge.

In the winter you will find that the bollards may freeze in low temperatures. It is advisable that in winter you leave the tap turned on slightly to ensure that the water in the pipes is continuously moving to help stop the water from freezing. Please place a short hose facing down into the water so it does not run onto the pontoons and create a slip hazard if it freezes. 

Various sites that can supply diesel are highlighted in the  Skippers Guide .

Forth & Clyde and Union Canals

In order to arrange refuelling at any location on the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals please call the Boat Movements team who will be able to arrange as not all sites are manned daily.  Please familiarise yourself with the availability to ensure you have continuous mobility. 

When refuelling you will be required to complete a declaration form to advise on your use of the diesel. This is a stipulation by HMRC that allows us to charge a lower price for diesel that is only used for heating and a higher price for propulsion. You will be asked to declare the use of the diesel you are purchasing.

There are various pumpout facilities throughout the Scottish canal network again these are detailed in the  Skippers Guide .

In order to arrange a pump out at any location on the canal please call the Boat Movements team, a minimum 2 days’ notice is required and is available within operating hours. 

Where a sluice is available this is only suitable for the disposal of chemical (Elsan) toilet waste. Only blue/green should be used. After use please wash down all surfaces and ensure the sluice is clean and tidy.

Please be advised that waste from composting toilets is not to be put into the sluice. This waste should be double-bagged and deposited into the general waste bins provided.

In some locations we provide storage for residential mooring customers only. The storage available is limited and as such there may not be storage available for you at your chosen mooring location. Where storage is available this will be provided free of charge on a first come first served basis.

Where storage is not currently available for you you will be added to our storage waiting list for that specific mooring location. This allows us to assign storage on a first come first served basis. This means the customer that has been moored at that site the longest will be assigned any available storage first. These waiting lists are updated every time a new residential customer vacates or arrives at that mooring site.

If you do not require storage please let us know and we will not assign storage to you or add your details to the waiting list. You can be added to the waiting list at any time if your situation changes.

There are various facilities blocks throughout the canal network, which is available to boaters and users of the canal. Some Facility Blocks include showers, toilets and/or laundry facilities. Please always leave the facilities as clean and tidy as possible and please refrain from leaving any personal items in the facility block.

Laundry facilities, where supplied, are located either in the Facilities Block or as a separate unit. The cost of laundry is £3 per wash and £3 per dry. The machines are either coin operated or token operated. Tokens can be purchased at the local office. Please refrain from leaving personal items in the laundry area, this includes clothes horses as any items found in this vicinity will be removed. 

If you are a residential customer, you will either be allocated a mailbox or your mail will be delivered to the local Scottish Canals office where you can collect. Please ensure that you collect mail regularly. Please also note that Scottish Canals do not take any liability for mail that is delivered to our office.

For larger deliveries, you can have these delivered to the local Scottish Canals office with prior agreement or collect from the Post Office directly.

Leisure customers are unable to have post delivered to the site. 

No major works, such as welding, cutting, angle grinding, flooring, lining, ballast removal etc., shall be done to a vessel or vehicle whilst at the mooring. In some locations dry dock facilities are available for rent from third parties.

Minor works may be permitted but it is the responsibility of the boater to ensure their works do not cause undue noise, disturbance, disruption or pollution to the mooring, premises or other users. You may only carry out minor maintenance between the hours of 8am and 8pm. 

When carrying out works, all of our facilities, bollards, footpaths, service points etc must be suitably protected, kept clean and tidy at all times and appropriate Health & Safety issued adhered to. We reserve the right to charge you for the full cost of any remedial works required as a result of your work. 

More information can be found  here .

There is not always parking facilities at every site. For all berth holders parking is available on a first come first served basis.

At most sites there is a recycling bin and a general waste bin. Please dispose of all waste into these bins. Under no circumstance should waste be left on pontoons, towpaths or any other area around the mooring site. Please also ensure that no waste enters the canal itself. If there is no bin due to location then please take all your refuse home with you. 

Please be aware that under no circumstances should you drive on the towpath. This area is reserved for Scottish Canals and emergency vehicles only with priority to cyclists and pedestrians. 

Licences are non-refundable.

Leisure mooring permits are refundable providing you give 1 month’s written notice.

Residential leases or commercial leases are non-refundable.

Please note: - Moorings are not transferable with the sale of the boat, so the boat cannot be sold with the promise of the mooring. The new customer would have to declare his interest and if there is no waiting list and the new customer meets all the criteria they would be offered the mooring as a new customer under the terms and condition in place at the time of sale and at the published price.

Please be mindful of smoke from stoves, exhaust fumes, and noise from engines and generators, particularly in built up areas. Most built up areas in Scotland are classified as smoke free zones and as such we ask that all boaters only use authorised fuels as set out by Defra. The link for these authorised fuels can be found here;  https://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/fuels.php?country=scotland 

You are not permitted to run your engine or generator whilst moored up before 8am or after 8pm, see our  Licence Terms and Conditions  for more details.

All pets must be kept under control and not allowed to be a nuisance to other moorers’ or users of the mooring premises and towpaths.

Dogs must be kept under control at all times and in a lead during exercise particularly on the communal areas.

Animal waste must be collected in a plastic bag and disposed of appropriately. 

The canals can be hazardous places. The safety of our users and people is very important to us and we do our best to make the system as safe as possible. Due to their historic character, it is impossible for us to adapt them to make them completely safe without ruining what we seek to conserve.

As a result, there are inherent risks for those who use the canals and those who work or live on or near them and it is essential that you and your crew and visitors are aware of the possible dangers and act in a way which minimises the risk of harm to people and property. You and your visitors must supervise children at all times when they are on the moorings and premises. Please ensure that your visitors are adhere to the site rules, as you will be held responsible for any breach they commit.

Any anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and will be dealt with under the terms and conditions of your licence. This includes noise, aggression shown towards neighbours and Scottish Canal Staff, smoke pollution and any other act reported by a third party that after thorough investigation is considered unacceptable.

Please ensure that all television aerials are contained within the boat and not as an external fixture. 

Any spare gas canisters must be stored on board and not in your storage shed, if supplied, surrounding area or pontoon/wharf. The maximum capacity allowed will depend on the design capacity of your craft and all spare canisters must be able to be stored safely within the housing.  

Please refer to the  Boating on Scotland's Canals Licences and Moorings Bookle t for full Terms and Conditions.

The time and effort you spend will have a definite effect on your boat's performance, or lack of it, and certainly save you time, effort and money come spring. You should remember that your insurance policy may not cover damage done by lack of maintenance or neglect.

Your first step in winterizing should be to make a checklist of all items that need to be accomplished. Check the owner's manual of both your boat and motor for manufacturer's recommendations on winterization. If you are a new boat owner, perhaps you should employ the assistance of a friend with experience in winterizing or hire a professional to do the job.

With our winters getting harsher here are a few tips that might help you prepare and protect your boat.

1. If you have heating, keep it on low to maintain a constant heat when you are not in the boat.
2. Ensure your engine has had a winter service and the anti freeze has been checked and either topped up or discarded and replaced if found to be less than 50%.
3. Spray the engine and electric components and wiring with WD40. This will keep the damp away.
4. Please ensure that all the plumbing is suitably insulated to avoid any pipes freezing and subsequently bursting during the thaw.
5. The Batteries electrolyte level should be checked and topped up if and when required and the terminals checked for corrosion.
6. The Batteries electrolyte level should be checked and topped up if and when required and the terminals checked for corrosion.

Scottish Canals understands and respects the importance of your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. For more information on how we use and protect your information, and how to exercise your data subject rights, please see our privacy policy on our website  https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/privacy-policy/ .