Banavie swing bridge information: EIR release

Information requested

You stated " I would like to make a FOI request regarding the Banavie Swing Bridge on the Caledonian Canal.

I would like more information on the closure of the bridge on 15 October 2025 and if and when this has happened in the past"

On 4 February 2026 you clarified the following: " The timescale I would like the information for is from 01.01.23 until the present day.

The information I require is for closures that lasted more than 24 hours i.e closures that would be likely to impact the navigation of the Caledonian Canal and scheduled cruises along it"

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Transport Scotland's Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, advise that unfortunately, on 15 October 2026, the Banavie swing bridge suffered a catastrophic failure of the drive system when allowing a canal vessel to pass. The trunk road was closed for a period of 21 minutes (time 14.51 – 15.12).

For awareness, Banavie bridge rotates using a simple rack and pinion arrangement driven by an electric motor through a reduction gearbox and is controlled by an automated system. The bridge has a second drive motor which acts as a back-up in case of failure.

There is no historic record of this type failure having occurred previously.

The failed pinion had been there since construction in 1971 and BEAR Scotland is in the process of replacing both pinions at the same time.

A new replacement gearbox has been manufactured and awaits installation which is programmed for 23 February 2026. Meantime, as the current (one) drive motor does not have a back-up, as a contingency, additional personnel are on site to facilitate a manual emergency recovery in case of a second failure.

With regard to your request for information about closures that lasted more than 24 hours "i.e closures that would be likely to impact the navigation of the Caledonian Canal and scheduled cruises along it"

Having checked the swing bridge logs and discussed with Scottish Canals’ Banavie swing bridge Supervisor, BEAR Scotland, we are not aware of any closures that would restrict canal traffic for more than 24 hours, outwith any planned maintenance periods, within the last 3 years. Such ‘planned maintenance periods’ are undertaken during Scorttish Canals’ annual winter canal closures, when the canal is closed to shipping. These closures allow Scottish Canals to undertake maintenance work on the canal. Aligning our bridge maintenance with these closures minimises any disruption to canal users during the boating season.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.