Edinburgh, Union Canal, Lochrin Basin New
Canal Basin (19th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, Union Canal, Lochrin Basin New
Classification Canal Basin (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Edinburgh And Glasgow Union Canal
Canmore ID 91039
Site Number NT27SW 83.06
NGR NT 24634 72818
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/91039
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT27SW 83.06 2466 7276
When Port Hopetoun (NT27SW 83.01) and Port Hamilton (NT27SW 83.05) were closed in 1922, a new (scheduled) terminus was built (at NT 2463 7281) on the S side of Fountainbridge. It took its name, Lochrin Basin, from an earlier basin of the same name (at NT 2466 7277). This was an offshoot of the main line of the canal, used by Haig's distillery and appears to have been abandoned before the 'ports'. The bricked-up remains of a very low old bridge, on the offside of the 'new' Lochrin Basin, may have been the entrance to the old, the site of which has been filled-in and built upon.
J Lindsay 1968; G Hutton 1993a.
The site of this basin is near the current end of the canal.
H Brown 1997.
The original Lochrin Basin is clearly marked on the 1sr Edition of the OS 6-inch map (Edinburghshire 1855, sheet 2).
Information from RCAHMS (MD) 23 January 2001.
Elements of the original basin, filled in during the 1930s, have been revealed during the re-development of the former Armold Clark garage. An inset ring and part of the quayside were revealed.
Information to RCAHMS from Mr C Hill via e-mail, 29 August 2005
Project (1997)
The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.
The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.
Field Visit (9 September 2007)
Group of ten lifesize black swans: three walking in a cluster; seven are sitting in a double line. The swans' necks are in various natural attitudes; the eyes are drilled with pupils. The feathers are stylised and form a smooth, soft shine. Each swan weighs 50lbs.
Shona Kinloch describes the group as 'a vision of the swans coming out of the end of the canal and heading towards the city centre.' (1)
The swans were commissioned by Edinburgh Quay Ltd as part of the £60 million development of the Fountainbridge area.
Inspected By : Joan M Kennedy
Inscriptions : None
Signatures : None Visible
Year of unveiling : 2006
Unveiling details : 9 May 2006
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0990)
