The Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is the world’s first and only rotating boat lift, designed and built to connect the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal, which allows coast to coast navigation across central Scotland.
Getting to the Falkirk Wheel
By car: From Edinburgh – take the M9 west for Stirling. Exit at Junction 8 of the motorway, and follow the brown and white tourist signage for The Falkirk Wheel. From Glasgow – follow the M80, then M876 and exit at Junction 1 following signs for Falkirk. The main car park is a 5-10 minute walk along the side of the canal. Parking is charged at £4.00 per day. By train: there are regular services from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Stirling to Falkirk stations. Visit ScotRail for timetables and tickets. By boat: visitors can also reach The Falkirk Wheel by boat, as it is part of the canal network.
History of the Falkirk Wheel
This amazing feat of engineering, which connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, has an interesting story. The canals were once linked by a series of eleven locks which boats would spend all day travelling through. In 1933 the locks were dismantled and the route closed leading to the waterways falling into disrepair through disuse. The Falkirk Wheel was built as part of the Millennium Link project and opened in 2002, re-connecting the canals with the innovative wheel and allowing boats to pass between them once more and in a much shorter space of time.
An exceptional feat of modern engineering, the Falkirk Wheel is already recognised as an inspirational sculpture for its time. This elegant mechanical marvel was opened on 24th May 2002 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Operating the Falkirk Wheel uses a remarkably small amount of energy, equivalent to boiling only eight kettles. This is achieved through its unique design, which ensures that the two gondolas (water-filled compartments) are always perfectly balanced. When one gondola is raised, the other is lowered, requiring minimal energy input to rotate the structure.
Take a ride on the famous rotating boat lift
The best way to understand how the Falkirk Wheel operates is to take a pleasure boat trip up and down it. It only takes five minutes and a half turn of the wheel to reach the top from where one can enjoy breathtaking views of the Scottish countryside. From the top of the wheel the boat goes along the aqueduct, through a tunnel and then turns around before a flight of locks. The entire journey takes one hour. With live commentary on board and beautiful scenery this boat trip is highly recommended. Standard boat trip tickets cost £17.70 and as they are extremely popular it is recommended to pre-book to avoid disappointment.
Afterwards one can view the next boat being raised on the wheel from the towpath as this provides a different perspective to being on board. The history of the wheel and its construction is on display in the visitor centre which is also home to a cafe and gift shop.
For visitors not wishing to take a ride on the wheel, there is no charge to walk around the visitor centre and to go outdoors to view it operating.
Canal boats on the Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel was created to replace a large flight of locks and to save at least six hours of time and effort working the 11 locks connecting the two canals. As the wheel was constructed to replace the locks there is no charge for boaters to use this facility but timed bookings must be made in advance to arrange transit.
Details: The Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, FK1 4RS
Fact Box:
Drifters offers holiday canal boat hire from Falkirk with the opportunity to travel up and down the Falkirk Wheel on board a narrowboat. Sounds fun, doesn’t it! Further details of Drifters canal boat holidays from Falkirk can be found here.
The Kelpies
Whilst visiting the Falkirk Wheel it’s an ideal opportunity to drive four miles to Helix Park to take a look at The Kelpies, a huge sculpture of two horse heads which has become an iconic Scottish landmark.
The two towering horse-head sculptures made of steel are 30 metres (100ft) tall. The name Kelpies, refers to mythical water beasts from Scottish folklore, which took the form of horses. However, the piece of art also symbolises the horse’s role in industry and agriculture in Scotland. The sculptures pay homage to the working horses who used to pull barges along Scotland’s canals and work in the fields in the area where they now stand.
Towering over a new canal extension which links the Forth & Clyde Canal to the North Sea, The Kelpies are the result of a unique collaboration between the Helix Trust and Glasgow based artist Andy Scott. Almost a decade in the making, the project has transformed 350 hectares of underused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into a parkland, visitor attraction and marine hub with the canal and The Kelpies as its heart.
The horse heads are a magnificent sight, both in the daytime and when lit up at night. You can even go inside them on a Kelpies Tour, to learn all about these amazing structures. The above photo gives an indication of their size with me stood in front of the sculptures. Entrance to Helix Park and viewing the exterior of The Kelpies is free of charge, however car parking charges do apply.
The Visitor centre details more information about The Kelpies and the history of the surrounding Falkirk area. Taking a stroll along the canal towpath in Helix Park is a very relaxing way to spend an hour or more and afterwards you can enjoy a light bite or an ice cream in the Horse Box cafe.
Details: The Kelpies, The Helix, Grangemouth, FK27 7ZT
We were guests of Scottish Canals and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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