Falkirk, Scotland
The Industrial Revolution spread quickly through Scotland, and one of its byproducts was the construction of canals linking major centers of trade throughout the country. Two major canals came together in Falkirk. The Forth and Clyde Canal was first completed in 1790 and allowed seagoing vessels to go from the Firth of Forth on the east coast of Scotland to the River Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. Ships that made the voyage could cross Scotland and save hundreds of miles by sailing around the northern coast. Later, the Union Canal connected Falkirk with Edinburgh in 1822, allowing coal and other goods to be transported to the capital. Eventually, ships became too large for the Forth and Clyde Canal, and it became more convenient to ship goods by rail, so use of the canals gradually declined, with both canals closing in the 1960s.
When the canals closed, many of the locks were no longer used and would require further reconstruction. In Falkirk, a novel idea was proposed to replace the 11 locks with a single, uniquely designed wheel. The Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift, can move a boat from the lower to upper canal within a few minutes, using a principle outlined by Archimedes over 2,000 years ago. When the wheel was constructed in 2002, it was the first time the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal had been connected since the 1930s.
The wheel has become a major tourist destination, but it was never designed to cater to tourists. After the wheel opened, people kept asking if they could ride the wheel. To meet the demand, it is possible to catch a cruise from the base that takes passengers to the top, into the canal, and back. We were able to buy tickets more cheaply thanks to the UK Summer Savings Scheme. Tickets can be purchased online via the Scottish Canals website. I suggest buying the tickets ahead of time as you do not have to worry about any potential lines. We parked in the lot closest to the wheel, and there is a fee unless you have a blue badge, as we did on our trip. There is free parking, but it is a little walk to the wheel.
We arrived right before our voyage, so we did not have much time to get on board our ship, which for this voyage was the Antonine. The ship was called the Antonine because the upper canal passes through a tunnel beneath the historic Antonine Wall, the northern border of the Roman Empire. After taking some time to get to the top and through the tunnel, we sailed a little bit in the upper canal before making the return trip below. After the visit, there is a visitor center with a cafe, gift shop, and other attractions.
The Falkirk Wheel is quite an interesting but useful tourist attraction. Constructing the Falkirk Wheel has created what Rick Steves describes in his Scotland guidebook as “a leisurely traffic jam of pleasure craft.” Uncle Rick describes the place as two triangles; try hard to see the attraction. Seeing and riding a one-of-a-kind engineering marvel was a great way to experience Scottish ingenuity.
