"Very Big Wheel" Falkirk Things to Do Tip by zizkov

The Falkirk Wheel. The worlds biggest rotating boat lift.

Once upon a time, before the railways, canals were the major means of transport, and Falkirk (specifically Camelon, in no way to be confused with Camelot) lay at the junction between the Forth and Clyde (go on, guess where that went) and the Union Canal. Combined, these canals linked the metropoli, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
.

Over time, these canals fell into disuse, many parts no longer being navigable, and the sequence of locks linking the canals disappeared

Now, as a much better use of Millennium money than the misbegotten Dome, the canals are being revitalised and restored to navigability, and the Falkirk Wheel proudly links the Forth and Clyde and Union. The towpaths are being restored and refurbished, and a new link to the Forth has been developed.

Several other websites have useful info on The Wheel:

www.falkirkwheel.info will lead you to a Flash animation on The Wheel.

www.scottishcanals.co.uk gives info on all of the Scottish canal network, including The Wheel.

www.milleniumlink.com : the official pages of the Millenium Link (the whole Forth and Clyde/Union Canal project, including The Wheel) are defunct, but an enthusiast has archived as much as possible, including other resources, about the project. Vast amount of information

Address: Lime Road, Tamfourhill, Falkirk, FK1 4RS
Directions: About 2.5 miles from Falkirk centre - access to car parking at Tamfourhill or west of Falkirk on approach from Glasgow, where there is also a Park and Ride facility.
othercontact: Booking line 08700 500208
Phone: +44 1324 619888
Website: http://www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk

• Updated Sep 9, 2005
• Report Abuse
• Send to a Friend