• HELLO SCOTLAND
  • TRAVEL
    • Travelling To Scotland
    • Find Cheap Flights
    • Currency Converter
    • Travelling In Scotland
    • Travel Insurance
    • Scotland Tours
    • Car Rentals UK
    • Airport Parking UK
    • Money Savers
    • Best Time To Visit
  • PLACES
    • City of Edinburgh
      • City of Glasgow
      • City of Stirling
      • City of Inverness
      • City of Dundee
      • City of Aberdeen
      • City of Perth
    • The Scottish Highlands
    • The Isle of Skye
    • Town of Pitlochry
    • Fort William
    • Loch Lomond
    • Dumfries And Galloway
    • Best Day Trips
      • Largs Day Trip
        • The Isle of Arran
        • Waverley Paddle Steamer
        • Oban Day Trip
        • Glasgow Botanic Gardens
      • St Andrews
      • Loch Katrine
        • Isle of Kerrera
      • Culross Village
      • Best Beaches
  • ACCOMMODATION
    • Hotels & Cottages
    • Castle Hotels
    • Holiday Rentals
    • Hostels In Scotland
  • ATTRACTIONS
    • Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
      • The National Museum
      • Royal Yacht Britannia
      • Scotch Whisky Experience
      • Edinburgh Zoo
    • Glasgow Science Centre
      • Glasgow Cathedral
      • Kelvingrove Art Gallery
      • Museum Of Transport
    • Glenmorangie Distillery Tour
    • Melrose Abbey
    • Wildlife Safari Park
    • The Falkirk Wheel
    • The Helix
    • 10 Must-See Sights
  • EVENTS
    • Agricultural Shows
    • Arts & Culture
      • Edinburgh Festival
      • Edinburgh Military Tattoo
      • Edinburgh’s Hogmanay
    • Theatre Shows
      • Theatres In Scotland
    • Cycling Events
    • Drinks Festivals
    • Farmer’s Markets
    • Food Festivals
    • Highland Games
    • Music Festivals
    • Running Events
    • Walking Events
  • OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
      • Golfing Articles
    • Hiking
      • West Highland Way
      • Great Glen Way
      • Hillwalking Scotland
    • Cycling
      • Bicycle Hire
    • Kayaking
      • Inflatable Kayaks
    • Skiing
    • Horse Riding
    • Scotland Wildlife
  • HISTORY
    • Bonnie Prince Charlie
    • William Wallace
    • Robert The Bruce
    • Glencoe Massacre
    • Greyfriars Bobby
    • Profile of Robert Burns
    • Flag of Scotland
    • Clans And Tartans
    • Significant Dates
  • CASTLES
    • Culzean Castle
    • Glamis Castle
    • Dunnottar Castle
    • Edinburgh Castle
    • Eilean Donan Castle
    • Stirling Castle
    • Urquhart Castle
    • Castle Weddings
    • Castle Ghosts
  • CULTURE
    • Old Scottish Sayings
    • More of Your Sayings
    • Scottish Humour
    • Scottish Ancestry?
    • Scottish Weddings
    • About Scotland
    • Wee Jock’s Quiz
    • Fitba Daft
    • Visitor Comments

Scotland Welcomes You

Discover All There Is To See And Do!

The Falkirk Wheel: A Modern Day Miracle of Engineering

Updated 2 April, 2017

To be honest, this isn’t my kind of “attraction” and I arrived here by accident, but when I saw the Falkirk Wheel in action I was glad I came. To my surprise, it was a great day out.

Falkirk Wheel

Not only that, I was also surprised to see lots of kids, and at that point I was wondering what on earth is the point of kids being here. But they all seemed happy enough.

The Falkirk Wheel

The Wheel was completed in 2002 and was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen.

It really is an exceptional feat of engineering, the first rotating boat lift in the world, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

The Wheel connects the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh by canal, replacing 11 locks across central Scotland, that were abandoned in the 1930’s. I can understand why it was voted one of the top seven waterway structures in the UK. It’s unique in the sense it can carry eight or more boats at any one time, scooping them out of the water and depositing them either up or down on the waterway between the two cities.

Apparently there was much discussion as to whether this was necessary, but it’s now a tourist attraction which has had a huge impact on the area. Its success may lead to other developments around the newly renovated canals in the Falkirk area.

The Visitor Centre is easily accessible, with disabled car parking provided.

The centre provides you with a magnificent viewpoint from which to see the Wheel in action. There’s also a cafeteria and gift shop, and there is no charge for entrance.

There is also an interesting boat tour with full audio and video support. The trip takes about an hour and provides a better than average day out for all family members.

Falkirk WheelTickets for Boat Trips can be booked in the Centre, although it is recommended that you pre-book with the Scottish Canals website.

In addition to the boat trips you can watch interactive exhibitions in the centre that allow visitors to learn more about the rotating boat lift and the canals, and you certainly won’t have to worry about the kids, because they can have a great time in the Irn Bru Fun Factory.

The Wheel is situated in the Tamfourhill area of Falkirk, and served by two railway stations, both a short distance away, although most visitors travel by road, with every approach well signposted from the M8 and M876 motorways. Falkirk is a modern town in the centre of Scotland, easily accessible from both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

There are excellent shopping centres, and the High Street is pedestrian only.

Also in the area is the remnants of the Antonine wall, built between the Firth of Forth and the Clyde to form the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Falkirk’s history has connections with William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and John Logie Baird.

When dark, the illuminations enhance the Falkirk Wheel’s stature as one of the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland, behind the likes of the National Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and what will be no surprise, Edinburgh Castle.

FACILITIES….

Audio Visual Boat Trip – Audio Walking Tour – Interactive Exhibition – Outdoor Play Area – Gift & Souvenir Shop – Picnic Areas – Cycle Paths – Canal Walks – Cafe.

Not what I expected, but at the end of the day, I have to admit I had a good time.

Check Opening Times and Boat Trip Prices


See the Scotland Travel Information page for all the information you need for travelling to and within Scotland. Get helpful advice on passports and visas, currency, weather, holiday extras, useful travel links and much more.


MORE SCOTTISH ATTRACTIONS….

The Helix
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
Edinburgh Zoo
Glasgow Cathedral
Melrose Abbey
Royal Yacht Britannia


Kelvingrove Art Gallery: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, with one of Europe’s great civic art collections is Scotland’s number 1 visitor attraction, and well loved.

Glasgow Science Centre: This science and technology museum was awarded a five star rating in the attraction category by the Scottish Tourist Board, Visit Scotland.

Blair Drummond Wildlife Safari Park: The children definitely won’t get bored, when you consider the number of attractions that make up this whole wildlife adventure.

Filed Under: Attractions

SEARCH FLIGHTS / SKYSCANNER

Theatre Shows

*** NATIONAL HOLIDAYS ***

Save on your hotel - hotelscombined.com


Contact | Disclosure | Privacy | Terms

Copyright © 2023 ScotlandWelcomesYou.com
All rights reserved.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT