Falkirk Wheel

A unique rotary boat lift.

The Falkirk wheel is a unique piece of engineering that provides a 35m, 115 foot lift between two canal levels completing a gap that had been previously serviced by 11 locks and a 1.5 mile route. These had been dismantled in 1933.

Opened in May 2002, it was built as a part of a  £84.5million project with the objective of restoring navigability across Scotland on the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and Union Canal, providing a corridor of regenerative activity through central Scotland.

It works because it has two equally balanced sections of canal with water in. When a boat enters one part it displaces the equal weight of water to the boat, so the two containers are still the same weight. The canal sections are kept upright by a wheel in a grove but as a secondary safeguard there are a series of linked gear wheels.

You can see the top position, and walk along both sections of canal without going in, if you have liveview or can just aim fairly accurately you can photograph the wheel from outside its enclosure which is surrounded by a wire fence. You would get additional views by paying to go in.

The Boat Ride

Boat trips begin in the basin outside The Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre, by boarding one of the specially designed boats. The journey starts by sailing into the bottom gondola of The Wheel, which then makes a graceful sweep, lifting the boat up to join the Union Canal 35m above. The ascent takes approximately 15 minutes, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the views of the  surrounding scenery.

Once lifted, the boat sails smoothly from The Wheel onto the Union Canal. This passes along the aqueduct, through the 180 metre Roughcastle Tunnel and under the historic - World Heritage site - Antonine Wall (Roman). The boat will then return for an effortless descent that gently carries the boat down over the Visitor Centre, and safely back into the basin by the boardwalk.

There are 9 images in this rotator and it shows the
sequence of getting the boat from the bottom to the top.

See our Gallery for more stunning images of this magnificent structure.

Location: Falkirk Wheel, Stirlingshire Grid Reference: NS852801 Ceremonial County: Stirlingshire Map Link: Multimap OS Google Aerial photo: Google       Multimap Getting there: Located in Falkirk, around 23 miles from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, not far from Falkirk Grahamston and Falkirk High Rail Stations. Access: Main car park is about a 10 minute walk away, but there are special disabled parking facilities near the wheel that are signposted. Website: www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk Other Useful Websites: Wikipedia       Geograph (map and 73 images) Email: info@thefalkirkwheel.co.uk Address: The Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road, Tamfourhill, Falkirk Postcode: FK1 4RS Telephone: 08700 500 208 Opening Times: 1st Apr 09-31st Oct 09   Open daily 9:30am-6pm (Boat Trip Times) Charges: ENTRY IS FREE to the visitor centre, café, gift shops, Ronald Rae sculpture trail, playpark and Antonine Wall heritage site. Boat trip prices- Adult £7.85; Child (3+) £4.20; Under 3's FREE; Concessions £6.40; Family £21.05 Nearby Locations: Antonine Wall Heritage Site Other Location Pages: Falkirk Wheel Gallery Other Relevant Pages: Canals        Canals for photographers   Major Canals and Waterways       Major Canal Features Canal Tunnels                                Lock Flights and Staircases Canals in Scotland                         Non Navigable and Lost Canals Further information - canals   Notes:

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By: Keith Park	Section: Canal and Waterway Section	Key:
Page Ref: Falkirk_wheel	Topic: Canals & Waterways	Last Updated: 05/2009

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