The Frost and Cold Canal

Happy New Year!!
Where have January and February gone!!
Got some catching up to do...

Well it certainly has been a cold winter!! Had a White Christmas and a white New Year for that matter!! I can't remember the snow lasting that long in my life.
Most of these photos were actually taken on Christmas Eve when the temperature in the afternoon was -8 C. (that's 18 F in old money) Brrrr!!
They are from round about the Forth and Clyde canal. Or the Frost and Cold canal as it has been.

I grew up not far from the Forth and Clyde canal. Simply "The canal" to us. When you grow up next to something it is the only one in the world as far as you are concerned.

One of the tours would love to do on this blog is the full length of this canal, but here is some snowy pictures from round about it for now.

And a wee bit of history...

The Forth and clyde canal is 35 miles long. Construction started in 1768 and was completed 22 years later in 1790. It was designed by John Smeaton. No not "Smeato" of Glasgow Airport fame. This John Smeaton was an English engineer born in 1724. And the point of the canal is in the name, it connects the river Clyde with the River Forth.

For more info here is the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_and_Clyde_Canal

Christmas Eve actually started off pretty foggy. Perhaps Santa was going to have to call on Rudolph with his nose so bright one more time. But the fog soon lifted to a sunny, bitterly cold day. Then when you looked at the trees you saw that some of the fog had frosted onto the branches and every one became a unique work of art. These beautiful trees above aren't captured at Loch Lomond or the Cairngorms. This was just outside B&Q at the Strathkelvin Business Park in Bishopbriggs!!

Further along the road now at where the canal passes the Stables bar. The boat waiting for an icebreaker to come along is the Craft Daft on a Raft boat. I just loved this wintery scene. If I could paint then would have a go at this.

And this is the view in the other direction towards Kirkintilloch. The canal totally frozen over and if you look carefully you can see animal tracks running along it. The local wildlife taking advantage of a new through road.

Back the other way now and stopped off to take some shots of Cadder Parish Church. Here through the trees from the canal bank.

And a closer shot now from within the old graveyard. Just felt this was a perfect traditional Christmas card photo.

This beautiful church building dates from 1825 although a church building has been on this site as long ago as 1150.

http://www.cadderchurch.org.uk/

And another shot closer up of the church tower which was completed in 1829.

Really is a beautiful building. And has extra meaning for me as this is actually also where I got married.

This photo above was taken slightly later as the sun was setting over the canal. Love the winter sunsets.

And this above is not the canal but the burn next to Bishopbriggs Sports Centre. Beautiful and still winter scene. Then it was home time to wait for Santa to arrive.

Hope you liked this wee mini tour of the canal. Will hopefully get the chance to have that full tour when it a bit warmer!!

Be well, be happy!!