Falkirk Wheel






The Falkirk Wheel, named after the nearby town of Falkirk in central Scotland, is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The difference in the levels of the two canals at the wheel is 24 metres (79 ft), roughly equivalent to the height of an eight storey building. The structure is located near the Rough Castle Fort and the closest village is Tamfourhill. On 24 May 2002, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Falkirk Wheel as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations. The opening had been delayed by a month due to flooding caused by vandals who forced open the Wheel's gates.
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Posted: 2008-05-05 09:56:29
Psst.
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I wouldn't mind experiencing that!
i would love to be in a boat on this ride
I live in Glasgow and have cycled to the Falkirk wheel a couple of times. Quite amazing structure. The two canals it connects, connect Glasgow to Edinburgh. Interesting point: it uses practically no energy to raise the boats up. They just use the weight of the water in the 'buckets' the boats sit in.
The canals were built in the 18 and 1900's. It is very rare to be able to build canals without encountering changes in the land's elevation. To get round this they use locks. The locks at Falkirk went into disrepair as canals were no longer used for transporting goods when roads and trains were introduced.
The canals are now being redeveloped for leisure (sailing etc).
The canals are now being redeveloped for leisure (sailing etc).
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