The Millennium Link has been developed by a partnership involving public,
private and voluntary sector organisations across the breadth of Scotland.
British Waterways, Scottish Enterprise and its network of local enterprise
companies, all the local authorities through which the canals pass, local
community councils, local and national engineering, historical and environmental
bodies and voluntary sector organisations, are working together to make the
dream a reality.
The canals brought prosperity and developed communities and
industries along their length when they were first opened over 100 years ago.
These communities used to bustle with activity and many represented the Scottish
heartland of the industrial and engineering revolution. The passage of time, the
rise of rail, and then road, transport led to decline in the use of the canals
for moving freight. Changing world economies caused the disappearance of many
traditional industries. With this decline went local employment and prosperity
and, as a result, the canals pass through what have become some of the most
economically, environmentally and socially disadvantaged areas in Scotland.
The many partners in The Millennium Link aim to change that
situation. The restoration of the canals will be the foundation on which those
communities will be revitalised and regenerated over the next 20 years. This
will be achieved by:
- improving the environment
- restoring or reclaiming sites along the banks of the canals
- enabling and supporting commercial and leisure developments
- ensuring easy access for all to the canals and the opportunities they
represent.
The Millennium Link is a project driven by and
for the people and it will provide opportunities for:
- tourism, leisure and recreation
- employment, training and education
- commercial and entrepreneurial development
To find out more about our partners, see our links
page.