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Published: October 6th 2014
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We love going to visit Trish's sister in Perth, Scotland. It's such a wonderful part of the UK and when we are there we like to find different places to explore. This time we went down to Falkirk to visit an attraction we had caught a glimpse of on BBC's The One Show back in April -
The Kelpies. For some reason we thought these incredible sculptures were near Glasgow and had been built for the Commonwealth Games but Falkirk is closer to Edinburgh and this had nothing to do with the Games at all. How wrong we were!
A Kelpie is a mystical being which inhabits Scotland's lochs and pools. They often take the form of a horse and this piece of Scottish folklore was the inspiration for this unusual sight. When the Forth and Clyde canal was redeveloped, a park was created which is known as The Helix. This land reformation project has produced a beautiful place for local families and visitors to share. We parked up outside Falkirk's football ground where the overflow car park is. The poor attendants were having a hard time trying to get people not to park on the grass verges but use this
car park. You could say it has been a victim of its own success. It's a good 30 minute walk to get to the Kelpies from there but the footpaths are sturdy and well maintained. They are located alongside the stunning banks of the canal and, when the visitor centre opens it will be a fantastic place to visit. It's not bad now, but try to go outside school holidays and weekends because it really does get very busy. Not bad for a place that only opened a few months ago.
Across the other side of town, Falkirk also boasts another unusual attraction. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating canal boat lift in the world. It was designed using some of the principles of the Greek mathematician Archimedes concerning water displacement. Linking the Forth and Clyde canal with the Union canal required innovative thinking as the torturous series of locks had long since silted up. This masterpiece of design was the solution and it is amazing to watch it in action. The visitor centre provides ample information if you want to know more and there are various children's exhibits around the park at the base for young ones
to explore more of the science behind what they are seeing.
We also did a lovely walk which took us alongside the canals. Seeing the families of swans with their cygnets was lovely, and a herd of cows came down from their field to see us. They stood in a long line to drink from the canal! It wasn't too hard a climb and the views from the top of the Falkirk Wheel were wonderful. From the top you get a better sense of the sheer size of the project.
If this blog has whetted your appetite for a visit to Falkirk, the Youtube videos below should have you planning your trip very soon!
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
Gorgeous kelpies and countryside
How exciting! I love the use of the Archimedes' screw and wheel--it looked so much faster than locks filling with water. And how thrilling to have a public works' project that everyone loves. The videos were great--I love that Scottish accent!