West of the M8 bridge, the canal passes the British Waterways office for the Union Canal next to bridge 23. The section of canal between the Almond Aqueduct and Broxburn is a pleasant walk or sail through open countryside, less affected by the proximity of the motorway than one might think.

The huge, red A89 bridge marks the canal's entry to Broxburn. The original bridge 25 follows, and then shortly after bridge 26's replacement comes Port Buchan. This is now a pleasant place with mooring bollards, benches and a canal noticeboard in an open area on the offside. Thanks to British Waterways' recent dredging and the local canal society's own efforts, the Broxburn section of canal and its surroundings are now impressively clean for the first time in years. Unfortunately the cottage next to the basin is now unsafe, but major redevelopments are planned in the not-too-distant future (see The Link, issue 7).

The Buchan Society, which used to be based at Port Buchan, has now been superseded by the Bridge 19 to 40 society which covers the stretch of canal between bridges 19 and 40, taking in Philpstoun and Winchburgh as well as Broxburn.

Port Buchan in Broxburn

Just round the corner from Port Buchan is another restored blockage. The Greendykes Road bridge was replaced by a culvert in the 60s after the canal closed to smooth out the hump in the road. Now the bridge has been replaced. Ironically, now there is again a hump in the road at the bridge and a kink in the road where it has been realigned and traffic on the road was restricted for almost a year while the bridge was being built and it cost an awful lot of money to do as well! There's a lesson in there somewhere for roadbuilders who are considering cutting corners by blocking up canals! The two photos below show the huge improvement in the appearance of the canal attained by replacing the bridge:

Before: Greendykes Road blockage

After: Greendykes Road bridge

Beyond Greendykes Road, the canal skirts round some of the old shale bings as it makes its way towards Winchburgh, giving some dramatic landscapes on the offside bank. For years bridges 28 and 29 were crumbling away and the channel itself was silted up, but now the canal has been dredged and the bridges have been repaired, restoring this section to its former glory. Niddrie Castle is visible to the east as the canal passes under the unusually narrow bridge 30, carrying a minor road.

The canal flows through Winchburgh in a deep wooded cutting, as the town is on a higher level. Four bridges span the canal here, two originals and two new footbridges. Beyond Winchburgh, surroundings alternate between woodland, open fields and old shale bings as the canal approaches the tiny village of Philpstoun. There is a little aqueduct over a road here, but not much else - this is one of the remotest sections of the Union Canal