Kelpies scoop World Canals Pioneer Award

THE Kelpies have won the Pioneer Award during the World Canals Conference in Inverness.

The Kelpies were given the Pioneer Award at the inaugural event. Picture: Peter Sandground

The giant structures, located near Falkirk, were given the prize at the first ever World Canals Awards.

Three other awards at the ceremony were handed to attractions in Ireland, Italy and the United States. More than a dozen countries entered the inaugural event.

Scottish Canals said that the awards “celebrate innovative design and cutting-edge delivery by public, private and community organisations in a range of disciplines including sustainable tourism development, regeneration, heritage management, climate change and engineering”.

Steve Dunlop, chief executive of Scottish Canals, said: “We received some fantastic submissions from all over the globe and it’s clear to see that there are a huge number of innovative projects taking place on canals worldwide.

“From using modern technology to encourage people to engage with the rich history of centuries-old canals, to the creation of wide-ranging guidelines for waterside regeneration and the construction of majestic monuments to horse-powered heritage, the inaugural World Canals Awards has captured some truly wonderful projects and highlighted that waterways worldwide are playing an increasingly vital role in the communities that line their banks.”

Dozens of speakers, academics and experts at the pinnacle of their fields were involved in the programme,

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