Falkirk Wheel

The Forth and Clyde and Union canals were connected by a flight of eleven locks that was dismantled in 1933, and when the canals were restored a replacement was needed. The wheel, opened in 2002, is a rotating lift: two gondolas full of water sit in arms that turn a half revolution, carrying boats twenty-four metres between the levels in about five minutes. Because each gondola holds the same weight of water whether or not a boat is in it, by Archimedes' principle, the whole assembly is balanced and turning it takes roughly one and a half kilowatt hours, comparable to boiling eight kettles. The upper canal is reached through a tunnel under the Antonine Wall, the Roman frontier, which runs across the site and is itself a UNESCO listing. Boat trips make the full rotation.

The main sights

• The rotating lift - two balanced gondolas turning boats twenty-four metres.
• The power figure - a full rotation using about as much energy as eight kettles.
• The Antonine Wall tunnel - the upper approach passing beneath the Roman frontier.
• The boat trip - a ride through the full rotation and along the upper canal.

When to go

April to October for boat trips, which run to a timetable and reduce sharply in winter. The wheel turns for scheduled trips and passing traffic rather than continuously, so arriving between rotations means a wait.

Practical notes

The wheel does not turn on demand; it operates for booked trips, so the timetable governs the visit. The boat trip is the only way to ride it and books out in summer. The site is otherwise a visitor centre and grassed area.

Nearby

The Kelpies are a short drive east; the Antonine Wall runs across the site.

Key facts