 The next item of business today is a member's business debate on motion number 1321 in the name of Dave Thompson on Caledonian canal world first. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put and I would be grateful if those members who wish to speak in the debate could press the request to speak buttons now please. I call on Dave Thompson to open the debate. Seven minutes please Mr Thompson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. It's a great pleasure to lead today's debate on the Caledonian canal, which is a fantastic asset to my constituency of Skylachaber and Barnock, and indeed to my colleague Fergus Ewing's Inverness and Nairn constituency as well. This majestic canal is considered by many as one of the greatest waterways of the world. Running from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east, this 60-mile coast-to-coast channel passes through peaceful settlements, spectacular locks and beautiful countryside. The scenery is awe-inspiring along its whole length, dominated by Scotland's highest mountains, including the UK's highest, Ben Nevis, which indeed dominates the skyline above Fort William. Of course, it makes full use of Loch Ness, the UK's deepest loch, as well as utilising the natural waterways of Loch Lloche and Loch Oig. Of course, it had been predicted, as the famous highland sear, Kenneth MacKenzie, known as the brand sear, prophesied that, and I quote, full-rigged ships will be seen sailing eastward and westward by the back of Tom Nehurech. Tom Nehurech is a hill, a mile or so, from the sea in Inverness. It took 17 years to complete and provided employment at its peak to some 1,800 folk, including Scottish English and Irish Labourers. It remained the pre-eminent, most technically advanced trans-sea ship canal of its kind until the Panama Canal opened in 1914, which is, of course, 12 miles shorter than its highland rival. When Neptune's staircase at Banevee locks was built, it was the longest length of masonry on any canal in the world. The poet Robert Southie, a friend of Telford, said that it was, and again I quote, the greatest work of art in Britain. Does Mr Thomson recall, as I do, that the late Charles Kennedy had singled out Neptune's staircase as his own favourite special place in Scotland and visitor attraction, and that he was a great champion of the Caledonian canal? I do indeed, Mr Ewing, recollect that. Myself and Veronica, who met Charles and indeed his wife Sarah and Sann Donald on a number of occasions in the constituency over the years, were very saddened indeed to hear of the death of a very fine man. The highest part of the canal is at Loch Oich, which is 106 feet above sea level. There are 29 locks, four aqueducts and 10 bridges in total along the canal. The Inverness Courier reported on 3 October 1817 that, on Saturday last, a sloop and a barge laden with coals went through the Caledonian canal to Fort Augustus, having lain for some hours below the mutant drawbridge. The inhabitants of Inverness were apprised of the circumstances and the novelty soon attracted a vast concurs of all ranks and ages. The banks were literally lined with spectators. After 17 years, the canal fully opened in 1822, with the Inverness Courier of 24 October enthusiastically reporting that, at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, the Loch Ness steam yacht departed from the locks of Muirton on the first voyage through the canal amidst the loud and enthusiastic cheering and the firing of cannon. Then in 1834, another Scot James Walker from Falkirk, who had worked for years designing Surrey commercial docks, succeeded Telford as president of the Institute of Civil Engineers and secured £300,000 in Government funding to head for the highlands to enhance and deepen the locks. This required the canal to be closed until 1847, but once repaired and enhanced and deepened, it began to attract upwards of 500 vessels a year, including ships bound for the Baltic trade. The Caledonian canal is only seven years short of its bicentenary, as completed by Telford. But what of the canal today? From the Bully Firth to the Atlantic remains a major tourism attraction, with families able to sail its length on cruisers. It is also used by ships to avoid perilous routes around the north of Scotland. Soon, there will be a network of alpine-style camping pods commissioned by Scottish canals sighted along the route, offering walkers, water users and cyclists unique overnight stay in a distinctive compact modern structure that allows them to sense the unique nature of their location alongside the canal. The pods are inspired by the old box beds used in highland croft houses, which are micro rooms containing just the bed with vertical sides, a lid and wooden doors, but they are also helpfully designed to mirror staying in a snag croft house or bothy. Recently, one of the canal's most iconic buildings has been brought back to life as a unique holiday cottage. Officially opened by the transport minister, Derek Mackay, in December last year, Bona Lighthouse was designed in 1815 by Telfer and was the smallest manned inland lighthouse in Britain, guiding vessels between the waters of Loch Ness and the Great Canal. The new cottages offer visitors to the area the perfect spot to explore the spectacular landscapes of the highlands or simply relax and watch the world and maybe even a boat or two pass by. Once an example of cutting-edge technology, Bona guided ships into the canal for more than a century before technological advances rendered it obsolete and it fell into disuse. However, the refurbishment means that we now have another tangible link to our highland heritage, ensuring that the visiting public will benefit and securing additional income for Scottish canals, which will help to maintain the asset for future generations. I will be visiting Bona tomorrow with Andrew Thin, who is the chair of Scottish canals, and I am thirdly looking forward to seeing Bona's restoration for myself. So what of the canal's future? Might we see a rotating boat lift such as the Muirton wheel to rival the Falkirk wheel, which is the millennium link project, which connects the Forth and Clyde canal with the Union canal? Perhaps this is a venture worth delving into a little deeper and I shall hand it over to my colleague Fergus Ewing. The central belt not only has the Falkirk wheel but the fantastic Kelpis too. There is no reason why we should not try to emulate this with the Caledonian canal and I am sure that there will be countless other suggestions as to how we can maximise the canals under it appeal well into the future. In closing, I would like to think of the many highland folk involved in the construction of the Caledonian canal and its resulting success, all of whom have long since passed away. I hope that, when they allow themselves a nostalgic muse from attending to their crafts and their livestock, those historical shadows of the original project, who brought and learned a great many skills in bringing the world-famous canal to life, will be looking and on and nodding with satisfied approval. I turn to the open debate, speeches of four minutes or so. David Stewart, to be followed by Jamie McGregor. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I start by congratulating Dave Thompson for securing his debate today. I also associate myself with the remarks that were made by Mr Thompson and Mr Ewing about the late Charles Kennedy. The Caledonian canal, as we have heard, is the largest of the Scottish canals, Lincoln, Loch Oih, Nest, Loughy and O'Four, together over a distance of 60 miles along the line of the awe-inspiring Great Glen. As we have heard from Dave Thompson, the canal, of course, was built to provide a safe passage for ships travelling from the North Sea to the Atlantic coast. Of course, in the early 19th century, it was a long and dangerous journey through the Pentland Firth and around Cape Wrath, made worse, of course, by the war with France. That is why the building of this particular canal was so important. It meant that our shipping could avoid the dangers of the Pentland Firth to get from east to west and vice versa. Of course, the building project also had the added advantage of providing much-needed work for the Highland population and beyond. Of course, William Jessup and Thomas Telford were appointed as project engineers and construction began in 1803. It was expected to take just seven years to complete to link the loss of the Great Glen. Twenty-two miles of artificial waterway had to be dug by hand, and 28 huge locks constructed, large enough to take a battleship. Vast basins were also dug at each end to provide trade and industry. At that time, the canal was one of the largest civil engineering schemes ever taken place in Britain. It was the Queensferry crossing of its day. The canal was finally completed with the Geth Ceremony in 1822, but I note, Presiding Officer, that it was at twice the projected costs that we have been there before in terms of large projects. As we have heard from Dave Thompson by 1844, major repairs were needed, which closed the canal for three years. Nevertheless, I would stress that the canal was, and still is, a feat of great engineering that was acknowledged across the globe. Some may say that it was sad that the canal was never achieved at the time that it was built, quite the grand design for which it was formed, of carrying seaborn vessels from sea to sea. Although, of course, there was an upsurge in commercial traffic during the First World War, when components for the construction of mines were stripped through the canal on the way to Inverness from America. Ownership passed the Ministry of Transport in 1920 and then to British Waterways and, subsequently, to Scottish canals. Members may be surprised to know that the canal is now a scheduled ancient monument and attracts more than half a million visitors per year. Queen Victoria took a trip in 1873, and the publicity surrounding the trip resulted in a large increase in visitors in the region, and those numbers have grown ever since. Dave Thompson has touched on one of the key campaigns that have been involved in over the last decade, which is Bono Lighthouse, which, as we have heard, was designed by Thomas Telford, incidentally on the site of a tall booth, which was there many hundreds of years before. If I may raise a six degrees of separation point, which as members will know, means that it was only six steps away from everyone in the planet, my current office at Three Garden Terrace in Inverness was a hotel in the 1880s, and then that building, where Thomas Telford resided when carrying out the work on the canal. I am sure that he probably shared a room with Stuart Stevenson at the time as well. I am campaigning to have the building recognised as an historic connection, and I hope that we can get cross-party support for this. I will be approaching historic Scotland through its blue plaque award to make sure that this bit of history is recognised. I am delighted, as I said, after 10 years campaigning to have the lighthouse restored. Scots canals took up the challenge and commissioned the work to turn Bono Lighthouse into two holiday cottages. Work was completed last year, just in time for the 200th anniversary. I have probably beat Dave Thompson to it because I have visited it many times. It is a first-class piece of workmanship. The light that one's guided ships from Loch Nessan to the canal has been retained in what now is the master bedroom of one of the apartments, with the lamp now acting as an unusual bedside illumination. A number of peered features have been retained in both apartments, adding to the historic nature of the building and further adding to the whole tourist experience on a visit to the canal. In conclusion, the Caledonian Canal is deemed rightly to be one of the greatest waterways of the world. Who would have thought that it could have achieved that acclade over 200 years ago? There is a lesson here for all of us. Of others have said, we are our best when we are at our boldest. To pan of phrase for Walter Scott, we need the soul to do and the will to dare. The time has come to open a new chapter in the life of the Caledonian Canal and to mark the outstanding features and beauty of this iconic landmark to the world at large and build on the tourist attraction that it already is. Many thanks. I now call Jamie McGregor to be followed by Stuart Stevenson. Thank you very much. Dave Stewart is right. The Caledonian Canal is considered by many correctly in my view as one of the greatest waterways in the world. All of us can marvel at the inspired efforts of the great Thomas Telford and his colleague William Jessup for their pioneering engineering works, which have truly stood the test of time, and we should not underestimate the difficulties of the challenges that they have faced. Twenty-two miles of new canal, 29 locks through difficult terrain without the mechanised and advanced technology that civil engineers take for granted today. The Inverness Courier said at the time of its opening in October 1822 that it had transformed Scotland's geography with the western join to the eastern sea. The history of the Caledonian Canal is genuinely fascinating, conceived as a way to provide a shortcut for trawlers and cargo ships seeking to avoid the long and treacherous voids around the north of Scotland. It was also envisaged as a safe transport route for naval frigates during the Napoleonic War, and it helped to also bring employment. Most sadly, like many public sector projects in the almost two centuries, it came in 12 years late and massively over budget, but it was the first ever state-funded transport project in the UK. It was much used militarily in World War I, especially in shipping components for the construction of mines through the canal on their way to Inverness from America, while fishing boats used it to avoid the route around the north of Scotland, and again in a similar way in World War II. Today, as Dave Thompson has said, it's a very significant tourist attraction in my region. Visitors to flock what is a stunning location for a canal boat holiday, or any kind of cruising, or indeed to catch a glimpse of Nessie. Walkers and ramblins can walk full length of the canal in the great Glenway. These many hundreds of thousands of visitors contribute a great deal to the economy, and they can all be sure of a very warm, highland welcome, and I encourage colleagues who have not visited the canal here to do so. During the never-to-be-forgotten year of foot and mouth, so devastating to Scottish farmers and crofters, I became involved with a sortie of 140 small French and Dutch boats that took part in what they called the Great Glen Raid on the Caledonian canal. It was a tremendous event made all the more difficult by the foot and mouth regulations, but still it took place, and I made a speech in French to the assembled throng of sailors at the social club in Fort William, and pointed out how useful the canal had been in defeating Napoleon, which went down very well with the Dutch, not so well with the French. But the canal is revered by boating enthusiasts from many countries. From the tourist angle, I'm well aware of the two independent boat horrors, Cali Cruises from Inverness, and West Highland Sailing, which are based at Lagan. The latter also incorporates Le Boat, a pan-European company, and between them, they have 34 cruisers. Le Boat contingent are mostly from outside the UK worldwide, so bringing very valuable tourism from the UK and the rest of the world. On a slightly sour note, it's rumoured that Scottish canals want to turn the Lagan car park, which has always been free, into a fee-paying car park, and I think that this is counterproductive. Also, it's not using public money to build a café when there is one there already, perhaps a little counterproductive as well. My belief is that Scottish canals should improve the infrastructure for the sedatives for the cruises, and the Scottish Government should make this possible through a better funding. I don't believe that there are any canals throughout Europe that do not rely on state funding, nor are there any canals that have a built-in monster. Maintaining the cow in good condition requires constant work by Scottish canals and is constant. Incidentally, on the monster front, I asked a visiting class from Fort Augusta's school yesterday if any of them had seen the monster, and a young man called Rowland said that he had seen it recently near Urquart Castle, and I was very glad to hear that. If I might just conclude by saying that I'm also delighted that repairs are being done to the towpaths by Scottish canals because I am honorary president of the Highland Disabled Ramblers Association, who have been known to ramble with their scooters along the canal towpaths. I'm sure that they will be delighted with the upgrades, so their rides are safer and less bumpy, and there is less chance of any of them ending up in the canal. On that point, I'll give up. Thank you very much, and I now call Stuart Stevenson to be followed by Hans Alam Alec. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and congratulations to Dave Thompson for giving us the opportunity to debate this important topic. Of course, as is invited by Dave Stewart, I tell him that my wife and I were married in Bona Kirk in 1969, and my mother-in-law and my now wife lived at Lochent, a mere 400 or 500 metres from Bona Lighthouse. Indeed, that contributed the canal to the good eating in the Piri household, because whenever a fishing boat came through, my mother-in-law used to dash up and persuade the fishermen to provide it with some free fish, which was excellent nutrition. I'm delighted to hear that Mr Thompson will be meeting Andrew Thin shortly, giving my regards. He was always one of the most effective public appointments to a chair, and I'm delighted to hear of his continuing contribution. Jamie McGregor said that the canal is the only canal with its own monster. Well, that's almost certainly true. Interesting little footnote to that is that there's been a thousand new species of marine animals discovered in the past 12 months alone. Given that this is the deepest, longest, biggest body of water, in fact, in aggregate it exceeds the sum of all bodies of water in the UK, there is plenty of space for even large animals to yet be discovered if we but turn our minds to it. Of course, we've had the canal led the world for 100 years, and it was not the earliest canal by any manner of means. In my constituency, for example, the St Fergus and North Oogie canal was provided. It never seems to have delivered very much, I have to say, and all sign of it has disappeared. The canal also had a broader context. Thomas Telford undertook something that we now think of as a modern invention, which was a master plan of transport in the Highlands, including revising parts of the Crinnan canal, building 920 miles of new roads, building over 1,000 new bridges and, critically to my constituents, improving the harbours at Peterhead and at BAM. It was part of a programme of public works that benefited the Highlands created employment but, by creating new infrastructure, laid the future for important developments, which we continue to exploit today through tourism. Of course, Thomas Telford, who came from the borders from Dumfriesia, in founding the institution of civil engineers in 1818 and being its first president, contributed to the intellectual life of Scotland as well, and he was recognised as a very effective poet, so to be an engineer is not to disconnect you from the world of the arts. The canal itself, of course, remains a very significant part of our infrastructure, 29 locks, and, as we have heard, an important part of our defence infrastructure. Indeed, the parliamentary debates that preceded the passing of the act on 27 July 1803 were majored in providing the then wooden ships that we had with protection from Napoleon's marauders around the coasts of Scotland. That is one of the reasons, of course, the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo while work on the canal slowed down a bit, because once Napoleon was defeated, some of the urgency appears to have gone out of the construction of the canal. I want to just close by saying that, of course, the least remember loch of the canal, loch do fuir, the smallest one, is the one on the shores of which in the adjacent market gardens my mother-in-law used to work, so I have a whin of connections with this canal, which I am delighted to bring to your attention. As for the brands here, poor soul burnt an oil at Shanonry Point in sight across the furf of the entrance of the canal. I very much congratulate Mr Thomson, Presiding Officer. Many thanks. Our last open debate speaker is Hans Alamallek. Thank you very much and good afternoon, Presiding Officer. I thank Dave Thompson for bringing this motion for debate on the Caledonian Canal today. The Caledonian Canal has a great history that links some of the major elements of Scotland, a great piece of engineering going through some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. As a feature of engineering and design, I feel that the Caledonian Canal was extremely ambitious to link the lochs of the Great Glen, 22 miles of artificial waterways, is an achievement in its own right. The canal itself contained, connected the highlands to the rest of Scotland, linking in one us with places like Glasgow, my own hometown. Scotland can be proud of its recent achievements in promoting and developing the canal as a great community space, not only for those who are on the water, but for those who enjoy the walk or a bike ride or a buggy ride for that matter on the canal slip paths. Of course, the most iconic addition to the regeneration of Scotland's canal system is the Calpeace, which I recently visited with my mother and we both thoroughly enjoyed the Skypeace and I hope to take my grandchildren there hopefully this weekend if I get the opportunity. The Skypeace have become an iconic public artwork created by Andy Scott, who is from, of course, my hometown of Glasgow. You'll notice that Glasgow is featuring a lot in the speech, Presiding Officer. The two tall horse heads made of steel now stand alongside the fort and canal and Clyde canal near Falkirk. The outdoor recreation park between Falkirk and Gregemouth. My own constituency of Glasgow has a major canal side redevelopment project, including plans for our own big man bridge and sculptured by once again Andy Scott in Mary Hill. This is coupled with several other projects, including the Mary Hill Transfermentation Regeneration Access TRA, which will focus on building a mixture of affordable homes, as well as creating training and jobs opportunities for local people. So the canal still continue to play a very important role for us. As the Calpeace have become such a well loved landmark so quickly, many of my constituents are expecting to draw on the sculpture that will facilitate the bridge in Glasgow. However, many people have been saying before we spend £4.5 million on the bridge that we should spend a few on cleaning the canal and making the parts more friendly in terms of using. Mr Malik, in your last minute, perhaps you could relate some of this back to the Caledonian canal, if you don't mind. I read my pleasure, Presiding Officer. However, in a bid not to take anything away from all those people who are working very hard on all the various projects in terms of regeneration of the areas all along Scotland, I would like to say that I want to wish everybody connected with the canals who are working so hard to make a difference in Scotland in terms of one identifying our own heritage and building on our new found culture and arts. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Many thanks. Can I now call on Derek Mackay to respond to the debate, Minister? Seven minutes or so, please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and I am delighted to be responding on behalf of the Scottish Government. In doing so, I congratulate Dave Thompson for securing this debate and focusing our minds on the Caledonian canal. I think that members have contributed very constructively, including Hanzala Malik's clearly funding application for his Glasgow projects for the canal's work there, but I think that he makes a very helpful point about the importance of regeneration packages when they come together around canals. Moving on the perception that canals are areas of dereliction and abandonment and can be areas for regeneration and economic activity. In doing so, there lies that wonderful structure, that historic structure and potential around the Caledonian canal that has been so successful as a very important historic asset. Indeed, at the time, it was a groundbreaking project in its day, one of the legacies of the great Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. It is difficult to imagine the great glen without this magnificent thread running through its length. We had a revelation in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament here today, and it will be on the official record now that the Loch Ness monster does indeed exist. How do we know so? Jamie McGregor met someone who said that they saw it. It will now be an official matter for the Scottish Parliament on the record that it exists, so the media will be standing by ready to report this across the world. I have competition now. The minister will be aware that, at the end of the year, the proceedings of the Scottish Parliament are bound and placed as a legally enforceable document in the National Library of Scotland to give added force to its remarks. Indeed, Stuart Stevenson, so that would now make it official. My greatest accolade now in the Scottish Parliament is that I have made the Loch Ness monster a real being, and I now take Dave Stewart. Would the minister share my view that the Loch Ness monster is probably looking for floating voters? I am not quite sure how to respond to that. The ministerial briefing notes have not paid me for that slight diversion. Since we are on the subject of diversion, I did notice that Dave Stewart challenged Stuart Stevenson to make a personal connection that he made to. I am sure that he has some relation to the Loch Ness monster as well, going by the contributions that he made thus far. Since we have departed from Etiquette in the chamber, I am sure that you will allow me to briefly welcome our visitors from the singing children of Africa to the Scottish Parliament, as well as guests from Kenya. I am delighted that they are here present, and they will now feature the official record of the Scottish Parliament. Back to the Caledonian canal for a couple of minutes. It has had a huge contribution to tourism in Scotland as well. The canal accounts for approximately 14 per cent of total Highland tourism spend and supports around 500 jobs locally. Scottish Canals, who own and manage all their canals on behalf of the people of Scotland, work with a number of businesses and public sector partners to deliver a wide range of activities, and some members have touched on them. I will report to the chamber that I met with the board of Scottish Canals just last week on the Caledonian canal. My first-ever meeting held on a barge. The core users of the canal are, of course, boaters around yachts and partly fishing vessels as well and still in use across mainland Europe. Last year, it was reported that more than 1,000 vessels transited the Caledonian canal, a quite substantial and impressive figure. The Great Glen has always been a natural route for travellers, and the Caledonian canal has been a magnet for those activities. There is also use of the towpaths for walkers and cyclists, too. There has been substantial towpath improvements that have been delivered along the length of the Caledonian canal, delivering more than 20 kilometres of upgrade, attracting £1 million of Scottish Government and other public investments. I was delighted to meet pupils from Dochgarh primary school as they enjoyed the improvements that have been made in terms of the towpaths. There is also work around a canoe trail that was launched in 2011 by Scottish canals, and the paddlers have greatly enjoyed the improvements there as well. On the last two-year, paddle activity companies have located businesses and bases on the canal. Other investments are being made along the canal corridor at Lagan Locks. Investment totaling £360,000 has been made in establishing a bossy location, outdoor activities hub and kiosk. £155,000 of that funding comes from the Scottish Government Scenic Roots initiative to create a visitor facility at Lagan. Young architects have designed an eye-catching kiosk that will complement its spectacular location. In addition, Scottish canals are committed to developing new tourist infrastructure at Port Augustus and the busiest tourist spot on the Caledonian canal. I look forward to those developments. As part of the Scottish Scenic Root programme, a brief is being developed for a viewing platform at Neptune, mentioned earlier, Neptune Staircase, at the western end of the canal, and Scottish canals are developing plans to celebrate this spectacular location with arguably the best view of Ben Nevis. Scottish canals have redeveloped a number of its historic buildings along the canal, making them available as high-quality lets, including the boner lighthouse at Loch Ness. A number of members have mentioned that I was delighted to open as the appropriate minister. I am sure that I have a fantastic future. The Caledonian canal is a historic monument, but it is unusually one that is still fully operational, with a structure of its age properly maintained. It will continue to have a future, but you will all be aware of that. In March this year, a major breach occurred at Calockay at the east of Loch Oich, with a height of the lock dropping 1.5 metres. We require Scottish canals to hold reserves to manage such incidents, but I was delighted to be able to intervene with financial support to Scottish canals. Looking to the future, Scottish canals have attracted the World's Canal conference to Inverness, where it will be held in September 2016. That will be a great opportunity to show the Caledonian canal to an international audience, and it will also be a platform for Scottish businesses involved in innovative areas of engineering, water asset management and tourism to showcase products and services. Once again, I congratulate all those who have contributed to the success of the Caledonian canal, past, present and future. Many thanks minister. That concludes Dave Thompson's debate on the Caledonian canal world first, and I now suspend this meeting of Parliament until 2.30pm.