THESE canal boys certainly got about a bit.

This bargee, aboard the narrowboat Mexdee, from London, was busy navigating the locks of the Forth and Clyde Canal.

Although it was rare for English boats to enter the Scottish canal system, by using a mixture of canals, rivers and calm seaways, some cargoes came north.

One of the benefits of the water-bourne life was, despite all the different accents on the country's cuts, the bargees shared a language all of their own, a mixture of maritime and gypsy slang that could be understood from Coventry to Crinan.

Many canal families also intermarried, meaning generations of relatives would regularly pass each other on the country's waterways, sharing news, supplies and jokes.