Project started 5/98

Budget 20 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 8

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

The study carried out by consultants Ecotec was designed to provide detailed information on the socio-economic impacts of the presence of the canal at six representative sites distributed throughout the English canal system. These sites had all been the subject of an investment effort, aimed at developing the economic potential of the waterway. The conclusions are transferable, insofar as they are now used to inform the decision-makers on the Scottish canals. The sites are Gloucester Docks, Brecon and Goytre in Wales, the large cities Sheffield and Birmingham, and Shipley on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in the heart of the Pennines.

Sheffield, one of the reference sites for study of the economic impact of development of canalside land in urban areas

Project started 9/98

Budget 68 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 9

Partner responsible: BW Scottish Canals

Identification of the collections of archives on the four main Scottish canals (Caledonian, Forth & Clyde, Union and Crinan), and cataloging with a view to their redeployment or at least access through the Internet. Project carried out by the archives department of the University of Glasgow, as a transnational project, linked with the VNF International Centre for Historic Canals.

Project started 10/98

Budget 18 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 10

Partner responsible: BW Scottish Canals

Experimental project to specify the cultural heritage dimension of historic canals. Research and recording of songs and tales on the Caledonian Canal as testimony of an oral tradition. Demonstration and evaluation of an event based on this tradition, to serve both as a specific tourist attraction and as entertainment raising cultural awareness among the regional population.

Project started 8/98

Budget 20 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 12

Partner responsible: BW Scottish Canals

Questionnaire survey of visitors to the two canals, Caledonian and Millennium Link, to collect information on :

• the visit (motivation, duration, means of transport, frequency),
• the visitor (origin, demographics),
• customer preferences about the site (satisfaction levels, requested improvements),
• extent of conflict between different types of waterway visitors,
• the effectiveness of marketing and promotion of the canals.

The results of the study, undertaken at three sites of the Caledonian Canal (backed up by a postal survey of boatowners using the canal) and two sites on the Lowlands canals, will include drafting of a transferable method of investigation.

Project started 10/98

Budget 20 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 13

Responsible partner: The Highland Council, with British Waterways

Experimental production of a guide to all events and entertainment in the corridor of the Caledonian Canal, and implementation of the corresponding marketing plan, piloted by the Tourism and Film Unit of the Highland Council. This experimental project should enable elaboration of a methodology applicable by other organisations involved in promoting tourism in canal corridors.

Project started 9/98

Budget 37 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 14

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

Experimentation of a coordinated marketing effort, based on contributions submitted by the many organisations and communities involved with the "Millennium Link" (rehabilitated canals of the Lowlands). The objective is to market more effectively the destination served by the waterway, by developing a common strategy, while establishing transferable methods for application on other canals. The budget covers the costs of reproducing the documents resulting from the study.

The new town of Wester Hailes, near Edinburgh, where the population readily accepted the principle of reopening the infilled canal, to be part of the Millennium Link

Project started 12/98

Budget 15 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 42

Responsible partner: Scottish Canals

Experimental action designed to raise the awareness of young people and schoolchildren residing in the area of influence of the canal, by the provision of an education chest consisting of artefacts and documents, designed to be used by the teachers and the leaders of youth groups. Preliminary study and production of the contents of the chest.

Project started 12/98

Budget 41 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 49 (38G)

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

Experimental project covering study and design of facilities designed to promote the development of the Caledonian Canal corridor as a cycle route, associated with the evaluation of new methods for laying out such routes, in terms of surfaces and vegetation control.

Project started 10/98

Budget 43 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 50

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

Development and evaluation of suitable interpretation material on the Caledonian Canal, to be made available in a small-scale visitor centre at the key site of Fort Augustus. This experimental operation is designed to determine the limits of effectiveness of small-scale visitor centres in rural areas.

Site of Fort Augustus on the Caledodian Canal, where British Waterways and the film and tourism unit of Highland Council are experimenting a small tourist information centre

Project started 12/98

Budget 49 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 59

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

The development plan is designed to inform and guide the environmental management of the restoration of the Lowlands canals, seeking the best balance between the needs of conservation of the environment (including areas of ecological interest resulting from abandonment and the varying states of disrepair of the canal), and those of the development of the leisure and tourism on the restored waterway.

Project started 10/98

Budget 29 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 61/62

Responsible partner: BW Scottish Canals

Development of a methodology for forecasting canal usage (on the water and on the banks). Experimental application to the canals constituting the "Millennium Link", designed to inform the choices made by the project authorities involved in other projects for rehabilitating abandoned canals.

Site of Ratho on the Union Canal

Project started 12/99

Budget 23 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 63

Partner responsible: BW Scottish Canals

Development of a marketing plan for the Scottish canals, the Caledonian being used as a test, targeting boatowners of all origins, particularly those from the other countries of the VEV network.

Project started 10/98

Budget 17 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 11

Partner responsible: The Highland Council, with British Waterways

Organisation and hosting of the second meeting of the VEV committees in Inverness on 9/10/98, associated with field visits to the Caledonian Canal on Thursday 8/10 and to the "Millennium Link" and site of the Falkirk wheel on Saturday 10/10.

Project started 7/99

Budget 45 000 euros

Reference - "fiche" action 71

Partner responsible: Highland Council and British Waterways

Seminar in Inverness from March 30 to April 1st 2000, bringing together the technicians of the partner organisations, with a view to establishing the links between the ESDP and "living waterways" in the field of socio-economic development and employment. The partners are aiming :

• to answer the obligations imposed by the European Commission,
• to reinforce the network in accordance with the logic of the ESDP,
• to provide opportunities for contact between technicians working in the field,
• to reflect on specific proposals to be made to the European Commission on the role and the place of the VEV in the ESDP, the policy of economic and social cohesion, the policy on employment, the policy on durable development and regional planning.

The various topics will are discussed in round tables, while seeking to formulate proposals starting from an initial report. Each debate is led by a moderator. The orientations negotiated during this working meeting will prepare the proposed orientations and/or decisions to be presented to the elected representatives on the Monitoring Committee at the May meeting in Sweden.