'West Lothian Riviera' unveiled as plush new marina opens

The ‘West Lothian Riviera’ was unveiled last week as 500 people, including 250 pupils from four local schools, turned out to mark the opening of the new Winchburgh Marina..

The new marina – on the Union Canal and located in Winchburgh’s emerging new town centre – was opened as a flotilla of canal boats, e-boats, canoes, and paddleboards entered to a backdrop of bagpipes.

The opening of the bew facility, overlooked by apartments, marks the latest milestone in the growth of Winchburgh and lies adjacent to an emerging town centre that is already home to a Sainsburys hubstore. Further housing will flank the facility, with plans for leisure units earmarked for restaurants, cafés and facilities for Scottish Canals. Winchburgh Developments Ltd worked with Scottish Canals to develop the facility, which can accommodate up to 20 narrowboats for tourists and residential berths, with plans for a further 29 moorings along the canal.

And the new addition to Scotland’s fastest-growing town was met with delight from locals.

Mandy Baird, a local resident, said: “I was seriously sceptical 20 years ago about such an ambitious project as this becoming a reality, but I’m happy to eat my words. It’s fantastic and something the community as well as visitors to the area can enjoy.

“I have been on Winchburgh Community Council for many years now and when John Hamilton of Winchburgh Developments came along in 2004 to discuss and show the community the future plans for our village, he said they were going to put on a Marina and I remember saying: ‘A Marina? If you build a Marina, I would jump in naked!’ Well, 20 years on and we have our Marina.”

Fellow local resident Graham Campbell, who serves as chair on Winchburgh Community Council added: “This is the latest piece in the puzzle towards carefully creating a town with character and personality with features that enable a great quality of life. Winchburgh is so well-placed in terms of links to road, cycleways and the Union Canal, and the new marina is a great addition to all the amazing development taking place here.”

John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments Ltd, added: “This marks a major milestone in the sustainable and sensitive development of Winchburgh and it gives me great pleasure to handover the completed marina to Scottish Canals. It will, I’m sure, prove to be not only a major asset to people here but, we hope, a significant draw to those considering moving to be a part of this exciting community.

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