Port
South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland, United Kingdom
Activity Level
Moderate
Excursion Type
All
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Starting At
$124.95
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
Duration
Approximately 6 Hours
Meals Included
Meals not included
Boat elevators are nothing new -- the last one made in Britain was built in 1875. A rotating boat elevator, however, is totally unique, and the result is both awe-inspiring and beautiful.
In the 1800s, a staircase of eleven locks connected the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, but those locks fell into disrepair and closed in the 1930s. Fast forward to the turn of the millennium, and the Falkirk Wheel was designed and constructed to replace those locks, providing a 21st-century solution to relink the network and revitalize Scotland's canals. Today, the Wheel is a truly unique and awesome spectacle -- Scotland's most exciting example of modern engineering. More than just the world's first rotating boat elevator, its shape is far from conventional -- it is an eye-catching, working sculpture.
Board a basic barge-style canal boat to experience a journey through a tunnel that cuts across a spectacular aqueduct and underneath the Roman Antonine Wall, built in AD 142. Upon your return, the canal seems to simply drop off the end, but in fact, your boat is gently lowered to the next level by the Falkirk Wheel.
Back on dry land, rejoin your motorcoach and continue the short distance to Stirling -- you will have free time here to spend sightseeing, shopping or visiting the castle of great renown (at your own expense).
Notes:
Lunch is not included. You will have time to purchase lunch at your own expense during the tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The boat transportation is basic, with plastic seating.