Wheely clever

Sunday 24 June Linlithgow to Kilsyth

As you will remember from yesterday, we had already “banked” 7km of our original route for today. So after breakfast we were able to head back through the centre of Linlithgow and have the pleasure of a short train ride to start our day. Alighting at Polmont, we had a short walk back to rejoin the Union Canal path.

It has been a stunning day – sunny, blue skies with just enough of a breeze to keep us cool but certainly enough sunshine to have us and the locals in shorts and T shirts. 21’C was forecast and that felt about right. It was a real pleasure to be striding out along the Canal enjoying the day. A few narrow boats pottered past, there was a mix of fields and woodlands to look out over, and the first couple of hours passed by without much excitement.

Our first item of major interest was the 630m long tunnel on the Canal at Falkirk, allowing the canal to continue under Prospect Hill and to connect Falkirk to Edinburgh. It is almost 200 years old and when it was built the canal was being used to transport coal. These days it is lit with LED lighting and has a proper towpath with handrail so that it is safe to walk through. It was quite wet at the Falkirk end, with water running down the walls leaving limestone deposits, and the dripping water from the roof creating stalactites.

About 3km on from there was the “main event” for the day – the Falkirk Wheel. Now that really is something – unique and extraordinary. Or as Peter put it – “wheely clever” and in the words of the signage “revolutionary”! So what is this marvel? A rotating boat lift -the only one of its type in the world. The Union Canal meets the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk – the only slight problem being that there is a 35m (115ft) height difference between the two. Originally there would have been a series of eleven locks between the two, taking about a day to pass through, but they fell into disuse in the 1930s Now however there are just two or three locks on the Union Canal and the Falkirk Wheel at the junction, built in 2002 as part of works commissioned by the UK government for the millennium.

The Wheel is like a giant Ferris wheel with just two gondolas, one at the top (Union Canal height) and one at the bottom (Forth and Clyde height). Boats move in to each gondola, which is then closed off, and the wheel turns taking each boat up / down to its new Canal. It is difficult to describe – we suggest you google it! But it was fascinating to watch! We had our lunch break there and watched for a while. It is quite a tourist attraction in its own right, with a couple of sightseeing boats just taking passengers on a loop around. It could have been a utilitarian structure, but instead it was architect-designed to reflect a traditional Celtic double-headed axe, and is a visually-striking structure indeed.

And so on to the Forth and Clyde Canal path. This was a much wider canal, and was originally opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland. It was restored around the 2000 – 2002 mark and is well maintained, with such clear water – we could see many shoals of tiny fish amongst the water lillies, and dozens of iridescent blue dragonflies zooming above. Again the path took us past fields, small areas of woodland, villages – always something to see. And so our day floated on past, eventually delivering us to Kilsyth and our accommodation for tonight – the unexpectedly well-appointed and comfortable Coachman’s Hotel.

Distance today: 25km / 15.5 miles

The Falkirk Wheel