Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal

Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal
Remains of the canal at Ferguslie Mill
Specifications
Status	converted to railway
History
Original owner	Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal Co
Date of act	1806
Date completed	1811
Date closed	1881
Geography
Start point	Glasgow
End point	Johnstone

[ ] Glasgow Paisley and Johnstone Canal
Glasgow Central station River Clyde bridge Port Eglinton basin M77 motorway Dumbreck station Corkerhill station White Cart Water Mosspark station A736 Sandwood Road Crookston station Hawkhead Road Hawkhead station River Cart Aqueduct A726 Lonend Paisley Canal station B775 bridge Aqueduct Johnstone basin

Coordinates: 55°50′53″N 4°15′07″W / 55.848°N 4.252°W / 55.848; -4.252

The Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal, later known as the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal, was a canal in the west of Scotland, running between Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone which later became a railway. Despite the name, the canal was never completed down to Ardrossan, the termini being Port Eglinton in Glasgow and Thorn Brae in Johnstone. Within months of opening, the canal was the scene of a major disaster.

The canal was first proposed by Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton in 1791. He wanted to connect the booming industrial towns of Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone to his new deep sea port at Ardrossan and his Ayrshire coal fields. His fellow shareholders included William Dixon of Govan who wished to export coal from his Govan colliery. The Earl had spent £100,000 on creating Ardrossan's harbour and intended to make it the principal port for Glasgow. Interest was also shown by Lord Montgomerie and William Houston who would also benefit from the canal passing through their lands and connecting their own coal and iron mines to nearby industrial consumers. In this pre McAdam period, the roads around Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire were not suitable for heavily loaded traffic. The other alternative route, up the Clyde river estuary to Glasgow, was not navigable by large ships as the river was too shallow.