Falkirk Wheel

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19 May 2017

After saying our goodbyes to everyone we continued northwards, crossed the Scottish border at Greta and after 245 miles arrived at the Falkirk Wheel.

In the 18^th and 19^th century two canals, the Union and the Forth and Clyde were built to link Edinburgh and Glasgow. There is a 115ft height difference between the two and a flight of 15 locks was used to connect them. After the war the canals fell into disuse and the locks were filled and flats built on the land. Towards the end of the 20^th century a movement started to reopen the waterways and an ambitious £84m millennium project was undertaken to achieve this aim. At its centre was the Falkirk Wheel which uses two water filled scoops and Archimedes principal which equalizes their weight to lift boats between the two canals whilst expending very little energy. We took a short boat trip up the wheel through a tunnel which was built to connect to it and then back down again.

There is overnight motorhome parking adjacent to the wheel and we stayed there.

The tunnel was built underneath the Antonine Wall, the most northerly defensive structure built by the Romans. After supper we took a stroll to Rough Castle which is on the best preserved section of the 37 mile long wall.

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