20140506 The Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies

Allen and I took different directions today, he to do one last day in old town Edinburgh and shop for a Scottish jacket for his sister (and he’s bringing home a beauty – nice going, sweetie!), and me to visit the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies.

I took my first BigGirl ScotRail ride, then a taxi to get to the Falkirk Wheel.  

The Wheel was built as a British Millenium project (funds raised though a lottery, and the only one of all of the projects a success, according to my guide) to connect two canals.  Although Scotland's canals haven’t been used for commercial transport for many decades, they are being reopened and restored for pleasure and leisure and are already quite popular.  You can rent a canal boat as you would a cottage or RV, for instance.

Although the Falkirk Wheel was built as infrastructure, it’s become a very popular tourist attraction.  Tours take an hour, and are offered hourly, plus there are large playground and picnic areas, gift shop and cafe, and hiking/biking trails, so the place has real pull.

For the tour, you sit on a canal boat that pulls into the chamber between the two arms, the chamber’s sealed off, the same is going on above you at the end of the aqueduct, and then, voila, four minutes later you’re at the top and the folks who were on top are now beneath you.  Chamber lock opens and away we go for a bit before turning around for the return trip.  It feels as if you’re the one not moving and the rest of the wheel and surroundings are – funny/peculiar!

Going up.

Seeing the other canal boat coming down as we rise.

And matching up to the top canal.

Going into a tunnel running under railroad tracks...

...and turned around for the return trip.

The view from the top is amazing, easy to see all the way to the Firth of Forth and beyond.

The Falkirk Wheel was one of the few things I’d planned to see ahead of our arrival in Scotland, and it so lived up to my expectations!

Next I took a bus and a very long walk to see The Kelpies.  

From Wikipedia: The Kelpies are 30 metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal in The Helix, a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk Council Area, Scotland.^[1] The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013.^[2] The sculptures form a gateway at the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal, and the new canal extension built as part of The Helix land transformation project. The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland.^[3]

This massive piece of public art was just opened to the public last month. (No visitors’ center yet, for instance, and anchoring a huge park that’s also way far from being finished, and public transportation doesn’t realize it’s there yet, so there’s no bus or taxi service unless you call the taxi yourself.  Need to mention this on Trip Advisor.)

But it was popular!  The carpark was full.  There really isn’t anything to “do” at The Kelpies but gawk, perhaps take a tour of the inside (I didn’t), but it’s an awesome sight to see, and it’s right on two canals and walking/biking paths again, so there are lots of ways to get there.

My trip home was kind of fun.  I found a bus stop going the right way but had no idea of where to get off.  The driver told me wrong when I asked, so four other people on the bus made clear to me what the right stop was. In fact, when one woman got off, she told me which other gentleman seated near me would take over to for her get me out at the train station.  Love this stuff J  It’s wonderful to be in such a polite society.

Our last evening in town brought one last walk together through old Edinburgh and a stop at our favorite Bow Bar in Grassmarket. Spring has really sprung beautifully since we first got here three weeks ago.

Oh, and behind the Usher Theater, where a WWII play was on the bill, we ran into these two guys who kindly posed with me, a sweet way to end our last evening in Edinburgh.