This has become one of my least favourite stretches of the  Forth and Clyde canal. In the last two or three years I’ve been cycling along here, the area covered by Himalayan Balsam has more than quadrupled. It gives off a very powerful sickly, sweet scent which makes me feel quite nauseous, especially on a warm day like today.

As this is an invasive species, I’m surprised that there hasn’t been any obvious effort by Scottish Canals to remove it.