Canal hire firms in Northern England & the Scottish Lowlands
The Inland Waterways of Northern England and lowland Scotland were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution,
linking the ports of Hull and Liverpool to the manufacturing centres of
Manchester and Leeds, and Glasgow and Edinburgh to the industries of central Scotland.
Now most of the old industries are silent and hiring a boat on these canals opens up access some of the most
impressive scenery in Britain. The majestic Pennine hills
are crossed by the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the
Huddersfield
Narrow Canal and the Rochdale Canal.
Though the lock free Lancaster Canal has lost
some of its isolation since the opening of the Ribble Link across the
River Ribble it still meanders peacefully between the
Irish Sea and the Pennine Hills, hopefully one day it will again reach the
edge of the Lake District at Kendal. The recently reopened Scottish
Lowland Canals have reunited Glasgow and Edinburgh via the
amazing Falkirk Wheel.
Choose a boat from a Lancaster Canal
Hire firm and enjoy peaceful lock-free cruising through pleasant
pasturelands, with views of the foothills of the Pennines, Morecambe Bay and the Lake District.
The Leeds
and Liverpool Canal
has a wide choice of hire firms along this long 127 mile canal. There are hire firms on both the Lancashire and Yorkshire side of the Pennines. Some firms hire narrow boats, some wide boats.
Hiring a boat to cross the Rochdale Canal is wonderful experience for energetic boaters, especially as part of a 'Pennine Ring'. There are plenty of broad locks needed to climb up and over the Pennine hills.
Hire a boat on the Scottish
Lowland Canals
, the Forth & Clyde Canal & the Union Canal, opens up waterways from Glasgow
to Edinburgh, the Rivers Forth to the Clyde, plus the stunning Falkirk wheel.