"Falkirk Wheel" Falkirk by tracylacie

The Falkirk Wheel is an feat of engineering which shows the true ability of man to overcome obsticals. It is the worlds' first and only roatating boat lift.

As explained by the wheel website:

"The Falkirk Wheel is the spectacular centrepiece of the £84.5 million ‘Millennium Link', the UK’s largest canal restoration project, developed by British Waterways to reconnect the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal, re-establishing east to west coast access for boat."

A trip on the Wheel will take you approximately 30 minutes round trip. This includes the ascending to the above canal and traveling down the canal to the basin at the bottom of the connecting locks. The turning around and making the trip again through the tunnel and then decending back to the basin at the bottom of the wheel. The cost of this trip is approximately 8 pounds each person. The Captain and Crew are curtious and knowledgable (of course) about the Wheel.

The visitor center has some information about the surrounding canals and there is a good size gift shop.

There is, also, a walk which you can take up the hill, through the tunnel, and up to the locks above.

A Complete View of the Wheel

The Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre is open as follows:

1st September - 31st October 06
7 DAYS A WEEK 09:30 - 18:00

1st - 30th November 2006
Monday - Friday 10:00 - 16:30
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

1st December 2006 - 7th January 2007
Monday - Tuesday 10:00 - 16:30
Wednesday - Friday 11:30 - 20:00
Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 20:00

Exceptions are as follows: On Christmas Eve and Hogmanay open from 10:00 -16:00

Closed on 25th + 26th December 06 and the 1st and 2nd January 07

8th January - 2nd February 2007
Site and Centre closed to the public for annual maintenance.

3rd February - 31st March 2007
Monday - Friday 10:00 - 16:30
Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

Admission to the Visitor Centre is free ( special events such as The Scottish Boat Show may incur an admission charge. )

Trip with Friends

These four "older" (I say this with all appreciation for their knowledge of life) were coming into the basin at the bottom of the Wheel from the canals below. The four of them had made the journey by themselves. I am sure for the locals this was nothing to brag about (and maybe for some of you) but for me it was a moment that made me appreciate the adventerousness within them to take on the challenge of navigating up the canals of Scotland on their own after having already tackled the challenges of life.