The largest flotilla of boats in recent memory on the Forth and Clyde Canal has begun gathering in the centre of Glasgow.

Around 80 vessels of all shapes and sizes are sailing to Speirs Wharf in preparation for Forth and Clyde 10, a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the 200-year-old waterway.

The weekend long event will see the flotilla sail from Speirs Wharf tomorrow morning, travelling along the canal to the Falkirk Wheel, to arrive on Sunday afternoon.

Visitors to the towpath today and first thing tomorrow will see a host of different boats from traditional barges, mini steam boats and a mini replica puffer through to motorboats and vessels which are a combination of a caravan and a boat.

The oldest boats are a large Dutch barge which is more than 100 years old and the Ratho Princess, which was built in 1923.

The flotilla will sail from Speirs Wharf at 9.30am and travel to Auchinstarry, where it will moor overnight before sailing on to the Falkirk Wheel, where visitors will be able to watch the boats arriving from noon. Some will have music playing music on board.

There will also be a full programme of entertainment including the Seagull Trust's popular teddy bear parachute jump and a range of music, from acapella to accordion and rock band to brass trio.

The flotilla will feature boats from many of the canal societies, charities and social enterprises which work to promote the waterway.

Each year it engages an estimated 40,000 adults and children through wildlife and heritage boat trips, water safety and confidence-building activities.

Ronnie Rusack of the Lowland Canals volunteer group which organised the event, said: "The flotilla will be spectacular and we urge everyone to come along to Speirs Wharf at 9.30am to see the stunning array of boats.

"They can also listen to the sounds of a group of talented Scottish music students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the drumming of SheBoom."

The Forth and Clyde canal was the world's first man-made sea to sea ship canal and remains one of the most enduring industrial works of its time.

The aim of the canal was to increase trade by joining the Firth of Clyde on the west coast to the Firth of Forth on the east.

Building a canal through the narrowest part of Scotland meant sea-going vessels could travel across country without risking a passage through the Pentland Firth.

Construction began in 1768 and the final connections through to Port Dundas and Bowling were completed by 1791. The total cost of the project was £8500.

The canal resulted in a diverse range of industries setting up including smelting, rubber and glass works, breweries, chemical industries, boat building, saw-milling and paint works.

In the early 19th century, passenger boats started to appear among the heavy industrial traffic on the canal.

The importance of the 35-mile long Forth and Clyde Canal diminished rapidly with the growth of road and rail networks which offered a faster and more cost effective way of transporting goods and passengers.

The canal was closed on Hogmanay 1962 but by the end of the decade, voluntary groups started to campaign for its reopening.

The Millennium Link Project, which cost more than £83million, was the largest canal restoration project at the time.

The canal was dredged, cleaned and locks, bridges and towpaths renovated and culverts replaced. The world's only rotating boatlift, the Falkirk Wheel, was built to reconnect the Forth and Clyde and Union canals.

Today the Forth and Clyde Canal is used by yachts, cruisers, narrowboats, holidaymakers, canals societies, walkers, runners and cyclists.