{"id":29133,"date":"2023-07-27T10:00:36","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T08:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=29133"},"modified":"2023-07-27T10:28:39","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T08:28:39","slug":"10-falkirk-wheel-stirlingshire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/07\/27\/10-falkirk-wheel-stirlingshire\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Falkirk Wheel, Stirlingshire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>
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SCOTLAND<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

10<\/span> Falkirk Wheel, Stirlingshire<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Distance: 4.2 miles\/6.8km | Time: 2.5 hours | Grade: Easy | Total ascent: 76m<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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Enjoying views over to the Ochil Hills, a canal boat exits the Falkirk Wheel, having risen 24 metres<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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Walked by Adrienne Wyper<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Span engineering history from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the 21st century on this timetravelling trail. <\/p>\n\n

Admire Archimedes\u2019 (287\u2013212 BCE) principle in action in the graceful rotation of Falkirk Wheel, which opened in 2002. Appreciate Roman defensive engineering at the Antonine Wall (142AD), before marvelling at the 21st-century wonder that is the Falkirk Wheel, the world\u2019s only rotating boat lift, designed to carry narrowboats from the Forth and Clyde Canal up to the Union Canal. <\/p>\n\n

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1. START <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

From the car park, walk down towards the wedge-shaped visitor centre, admiring the fast and quiet operation of the futuristic Falkirk Wheel. Each boat enters a water-filled gondola, and the Wheel turns, lifting the boats 24 metres. The gondolas open and the boats glide out, through two locks, up 11 metres to join the Union Canal. The Wheel replaced 11 locks that closed in the 1930s. <\/p>\n\n

Head uphill on the path signposted \u2018Union Canal and Antonine Wall\u2019. Branch off to the right, beneath the Union Canal aqueduct. Before taking the path to the right towards Rough Castle Community Woodland, head to the top of the Wheel and tunnel for panoramic views of the Forth valley and Ochil Hills beyond. Descend and follow signposts to \u2018Roman fort\u2019. <\/p>\n\n

2. 0.9 MILES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The turf and stone Antonine Wall was the Roman Empire\u2019s most northerly frontier and its most complex, running for 60km from modern Bo\u2019ness on the Firth of Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde. Rough Castle Fort is the second smallest of the wall\u2019s 16 forts and the best preserved. It was built to house 500 soldiers. Still visible are its rampart, ditches and gateways, and defensive structures called lilia pits: pointed stakes in holes concealed with earth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Continue west, along the road towards Bonnybridge, before veering off to the right for a tunnel under the Forth & Clyde Canal. <\/p>\n\n

3. 2.3 MILES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Turn right for the towpath and follow the canal curving to the right. The landscape becomes more rural and dog roses, waterlilies and other wildflowers appear. After some moored houseboats, the railway line passes under the canal. You then cross a broad footbridge back to the start. <\/p>\n\n

A 50-minute boat trip leaves the circular Falkirk Wheel basin and soars upwards, before travelling along the aqueduct into the Roughcastle Tunnel, with its movementsensitive colourful lighting installation. The trip continues under the Antonine Wall, to the mouth of the Union Canal, before returning via the Wheel. Adult tickets are \u00a314.50. Alternatively, you can walk up to the towpath through the tunnel. <\/p>\n\n

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USEFUL INFO <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Starting point <\/strong>
The walk starts at Falkirk Wheel car park (FK1 4RS), \u00a33.50 a day. Bus 6, 6A, 7, 8 from Falkirk Grahamston or Falkirk High railway stations. firstbus.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrain <\/strong>
Gravel\/paved paths. The canal towpaths and the paths around the Falkirk Wheel are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Kissing gates on the Antonine Wall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map <\/strong>
OS Explorer 349 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eat\/drink <\/strong>
The cafe at the Wheel visitor centre serves cakes, breakfast and snacks. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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In association with<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For more walks and days out visit countryfile.com<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

Photo: Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marvel at the 21st-century wonder that is the Falkirk Wheel, the world\u2019s only rotating boat lift<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":29510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"103","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"103","purple_seq_number":"2","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"2","purple_source_article":"article_103-2.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_103-2.xml","purple_source_issue":"August-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"August-2023","purple_external_id":"August-2023-103-2","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"August-2023-103-2","purple_issue_code":"|0000084072||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084072||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.206","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.206","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.206","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.206","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-07-25T12:00:17Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"fbd46daf-d26d-41cb-abff-43d33e07bc6d","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-07-27T08:05:09Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A-9Rtr9JtQcur_0PTPge8bQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[135],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/07\/BEC4H9_preview-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Marvel at the 21st-century wonder that is the Falkirk Wheel, the world\u2019s only rotating boat lift","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29133"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29590,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133\/revisions\/29590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}