Seagull Trust

Seagull Trust Cruises (formerly Seagull Trust) is a waterway society and Scottish charity.

The Trust was formed in 1978 and offers free canal cruising for disabled and disadvantaged persons and groups. It is the largest service provider of its kind within the UK, and run entirely by volunteers. The Seagull Trust was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2007, the highest award which can be given to a voluntary group, considered on a par with the MBE awarded to individuals.

It provides a service from four locations in Scotland. These are Ratho (Edinburgh) on the Union Canal, Falkirk also on the Union Canal, Inverness on the Caledonian Canal, and at Kirkintilloch on the Forth and Clyde Canal.

From these locations, it operates eight canal boats, adapted with a lift for wheelchair access, and fitted with galley and toilet. Seven operate daily excursions, one (the Marion Seagull) is adapted as a residential boat for hire to families with a disabled member. The Wooden Spoon Seagull is fitted out as a floating classroom.

These boats are;

Origins

The Seagull trust was formed on 21 November 1978 by The Reverend P. Hugh Mackay, MBE, PhD. Rev. Mackay was Minister of the Parish of Torphichen (1927-1960) where he ran Sea Scouts on the Union Canal, and then Minister of Prenmay and Leslie in Gordon to 1972. Then he retired to North Berwick. He died in 1994 in North Berwick. It was during his retirement that he was involved in the formation of the Seagull Trust. At Torphichen in 1947, MacKay resurrected the Ancient order of St John. He was a canal enthusiast who had learned about two other canal projects, one in England, run by Claire Hanmer, who converted a narrow boat for the service of disabled people on the Midland canals, and a project in Wales, the Sunshine Boat, run under the auspices of the Prince of Wales Trust.

From the project in Wales, Charles Quant drew attention to the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council (IWAAC) of the realisation that his operation had a previously unforeseen secondary advantage of demonstrating that sections of the canal system regarded as "remainder" canals, were being used to good effect and as such his organisation now could fulfil a dual role of providing a service to disabled people and demonstrate the advantages of canal travel to the wider public.

As British Waterways at the time had no obligation to maintain remainder canals in navigable condition, this renewed use of the 'remainder' canal system became the early part of a movement which supported the continued existence of the canals.

Mr R.J. Hume OBE, was a friend of Rev. Mackay and a member of IWAAC. He brought the facts of these two projects to the attention of Rev. Mackay, and soon between them they formulated an idea of bringing a similar service to the Scottish Canal system.

Major Simon Campbell, manager at the time of the Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh had joined the original steering group, and it was he who suggested the name 'Seagull Trust' referring to the apparently effortless flight of these birds, an analogy to the freedom which canal boating can give.


Ratho

St John Crusader and Mackay Seagull at Ratho

Rev Mackay approached The Order of St John for £10,000 necessary to buy a boat and meet its immediate running costs. The boat purchased was Claire Hanmer's original craft, which was renamed The St John Crusader. The naming ceremony took place in 1979 at Wester Hailes and was attended by the Duke of Hamilton.

They had nowhere to dock the boat initially, but this problem was soon solved by the generosity of the landlord of the Bridge Inn at Ratho, Ronnie Rusack who also administered a booking system from his premises for the Trust.

Rev Mackay was anxious that the Trust should have its own accommodation, and acquired a partially built canal side facility at Wester Hailes (which was in fact never developed by the Trust). This was soon to prove beneficial for the canal as its presence prevented the blocking off of the waterway at the building of the new A720 (Edinburgh City By-Pass). An aqueduct (The Scott Russell Aqueduct) crossing was provided instead keeping the waterway open.

The St John Crusader was joined by the Janet Telford. The Janet Telford was soon found to be too small for use by the Trust and was sold to the Forth and Clyde Canal Society. She was replaced by the Mackay Seagull, which is still in operation today. The St John Crusader is not in use today and has been replaced by the St John Crusader II which came into service in 1996. The St John Crusader is now named Bluebell and is still occasionally seen at Ratho. A third barge, St John Edinburgh was added to the Ratho fleet in 2011.

Cruises operate from Ratho 7 days a week from Easter to the end of October either going west over the Almond Aqueduct or east to the Scott Russell Aqueduct over the Edinburgh City By-Pass road. Santa Cruises are operated to Wilkies Basin in December. There are morning, afternoon and (during the lighter evenings) evening departures. All are by pre-booking. Typically 6000 individual passengers are carried each year.

Kirkintilloch

Having successfully established cruising at Ratho, the trustees looked to Kirkintilloch as the location for a second branch. Kirkintilloch sits on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and has a very rich association with the canal since its inception. After discussions with British Waterways, a substantial boathouse was built near the town centre, on the site of R. Hay and Sons Boatyard. This building also housed a dry dock, which would provide housing and facilities for repair and maintenance for two boats.

The construction was completed in 1984, just in time for the arrival of the Yarrow Seagull. This boat was built at Yarrow Shipbuilders by the then apprentices. She was taken back to Yarrows yard on the Clyde in Spring 2009 for a complete refit, and, while there, had her bow section lengthened considerably to accommodate passengers sitting outside on deck in the warm summer weather.

The second boat to arrive at Kirkintilloch was the Marjorie Seagull in 2001. This boat was built by a bequest named in honour of Mrs Marjorie Brown from Edinburgh. It was built by Stenson Marine in Derby to a new design which aimed to lift passengers higher from the water level in order to see better over the higher banks on the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Town centre development saw the need for the land which the building sat on. New accommodation was built further along the canal adjacent to the new marina and was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 30 September 2008.

Falkirk

The Falkirk branch was formed in 1982, with the original idea to cruise on the Westernmost end of the Union Canal. Money was raised for a new boat, The Govan Seagull, which entered service at the branch in 1985. Cruising originally was on the Forth and Clyde Canal between Camelon and Bonnybridge, while British Waterways prepared the Union Canal for use. The Govan Seagull was transferred up to the Union Canal in 1987, and moored at Greenbank. Vandalism was a problem, and money was raised to build accommodation which was completed in 1992, at Bantaskine. The new accommodation was to provide enclosed mooring for one boat and a fully equipped reception centre for the passengers. A lift was fitted which allowed embarkation within the building. It also housed a meeting room which provided for meetings of the Falkirk members.

The Barr Seagull joined the fleet at Falkirk in 2006. She was bought by the Barr Charitable Trust for operation in Falkirk. The steel work was carried out in Falkirk by A.L. Gordon Ltd.

The Marion Seagull was built by funding from the Salvesen Charitable Trust, named in memory of Mrs Marion H Salvesen. It was designed and built as a residential boat, for use by families with a disabled member. It is fully fitted for wheelchair access.

Inverness

The Highland branch was formed in 1987, operating on the Caledonian Canal. The Highland Seagull was built in 1975, formerly a cruiser on the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, the Abbey Princess. It was completely adapted by Caley Marina, Inverness for operation with the Trust. It was renamed in 1989 by the Duke and Duchess of York. A replacement boat "The Highland Cross Seagull" was built in 2011/2012 with the original "Highland Seagull" being transported south to the Lowland Canals to be lengthened, adapted and used as a floating classroom. The "Highland Seagull" is now named "The Wooden Spoon Seagull"

Fleet

Boat Location Details
St John Crusader
Ratho
First boat operated by the Trust, based at Ratho. Purchased from Claire Hanmer in 1979, the renaming ceremony took place at Wester Hailes and was attended by the Duke of Hamilton. Has since been decommissioned. Now renamed Bluebell and to be seen on the Union Canal.
Janet Telford
Ratho
 Janet Telford was the second barge owned by The seagull Trust. She was built by Students at Telford College Edinburgh. She was based at Ratho. Now owned by the Forth and Clyde Canal Society.

In 1988 she was modified by the Royal Navy at Rosyth so she could navigate in the Princes Dock on the river Clyde and was then used during the Glasgow Garden Festival commencing 29 April 1988.

Mackay Seagull
Ratho
The Mackay Seagull replaced the Janet Telford at Ratho in 1986. She was built by the apprentices of Cammel Laird in Liverpool and named after the Seagull Trust founder Rev Hugh Mackay
St John Crusader II
Ratho
St John Crusader II joined the fleet in 1996, to replace the St John Crusader I.
St John Edinburgh
Ratho
St John Edinburgh entered service with the Trust in 2011. The steelwork was carried out by A.L. Gordon of Falkirk. The Order of St John contributed towards her building costs.
Yarrow Seagull
Kirkintilloch
The Yarrow Seagull was built on the Clyde at Yarrows Yard. She was built in 1984, and delivered to the newly erected boathouse at Kirkintilloch. This picture shows the Yarrow Seagull being piped back to Kirkintilloch after her refurbishment at Yarrows Shipbuilder in Spring 2009
Govan Seagull
Falkirk
The Govan Seagull entered service with the Trust in 1984. She was built to the same spec as the Yarrow Seagull, by the Govan apprentices in The Old Fairfields Yard on the Clyde.
Barr Seagull
Falkirk
The Barr Seagull entered service with the Trust in May 2006. The steelwork was carried out by A.L. Gordon of Falkirk, and she was fitted out by Binnie Marine. The Barr Charitable Trust provided the funding for this boat to be built in, and operate in Falkirk.
Marion Seagull
Falkirk
The Marion Seagull was named in honour of Mrs Marion H. Salvesen, whose charitable trust funded the building of this residential boat. It is the only boat in the fleet which can be hired by a family with a disabled member. It is appropriately fitted and also contains quarters for a skipper if one is required.
Marjorie Seagull
Kirkintilloch
The Marjorie Seagull was the second boat to arrive at Kirkintilloch.
Highland Seagull
Inverness
Formerly Loch Ness Cruiser "Abbey Princess"
Highland Cross Seagull
Inverness
Built in 20011/12 to replace Highland Seagull which has been lengthened to become "Wooden Spoon Seagull".
Wooden Spoon Seagull
Falkirk
Formerly Highland Seagull. Modified in 2012 to become the Trust's classroom and corporate hospitality barge with the support of the Wooden Spoon rugby charity.

See also

Other boating charities giving access to disabled people:

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