Wester Hailes is celebrating along the canal today, Friday 20 May 2022, as part of the Canal Connections Festival celebrating 200 years of the Union Canal.
The celebrations, organised by WHALE Arts, Edinburgh Art Festival and a steering group of local residents, saw three activity stations set up in Wester Hailes:
One at Hailes Quarry Park manned by local residents, Edinburgh Art Festival and Wester Hailes library which was full of fun games and activities for families;
The Information Station which members of the Wester Hailes Community Trust and WHALE arts with social history stories and photos, memories of the canal and a chance to find out and contribute to the ongoing consultation underway to help shape the Local Place Plan;
Finally one at Bridge 8 with raft building with Artist Ruby Pester and Sarah Kenchington, and face painting. Bridge 8 was also the second muster point for the Anniversary Flotilla travelling from the East and the West to Linlithgow along the canal. The flotilla departed from Lochrin Basin at 12.30pm travelling along the canal to several Muster points: first Harrison Park hosted by Edinburgh Union Canal Society with information boards from Merchiston Comunity Council, then to Bridge 8 and finally going on to Ratho where they spend the night before leaving for Linlithgow on Saturday.
