The Union Canal is a well-used and much loved stretch of green space used by many both for commuting and for exercise and relaxation, but during lockdown it is being used far more frequently, leading to conflicts and to anxiety about the dangers of infection (e.g. discussion on NextDoor, the neighbourhood app used by many people locally).
Gavin Corbett, the councillor with a particular eye on everything associated with the canal, has asked runners and cyclists in particular to avoid the narrow stretches of the towpath, as it is not wide enough to allow safe physical distancing (2 metres)
Please follow this advice! Roads are not busy at present, and cyclists can use them as an alternative, and runners can also find routes with plenty of room for passing each other. Those exercising along the canal also tend to breathe more heavily, making passing on any not yet symptomatic infection more likely!
A link to Gavin Corbett’s article in the Scotsman, providing more detail, can be found here.