Visit the Two Most Iconic Landmarks of Scotland

Visit the Two Most Iconic Landmarks of Scotland

I am taking you on a private tour to visit the most iconic but very different structures of Scotland, that are both connected in some way to the canals of this country. They are very unique to Scotland, rich in history, culture and engineering marvels. It is worth to mention here that they are unique worldwide as well, as you will never see anything like them anywhere around the world. The canals of this country are Britain's heritage and the building of the Falkirk Wheel was not only a milestone in the history of canals, but also proved the ingenuity of the engineers of this country. Both landmarks are a celebration of hard work and have deep historical meaning behind them.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road Tamfourhill, Falkirk FK1 4RS Scotland

The Falkirk Wheel

One of the iconic landmarks we will visit is The Falkirk Wheel which is the world’s ONLY rotating boatlift and is used to connect the Forth & Clyde and Union canals in central Scotland. It is so unique and nowhere else you’re going to see something similar.

The Falkirk Wheel is a magnificent, mechanical marvel which has been constructed by 21st century, state-of-the-art engineering. It is already being recognised as an iconic landmark worthy of Scotland's traditional engineering expertise. The previously separated two canals, the Union and the Forth & Clyde are connected on a very unique way.

Boats approaching from the higher Union canal now use a new length of waterway before descending through two locks. They then progress through a new 168m long tunnel that emerges at the start of a 104m concrete aqueduct. The far end of this opens directly into the upper of the two "gondolas" of the Falkirk Wheel.
The wheel then rotates, and having descended, what is now the lower gondola opens out into a 100m circular basin whose landscaping carefully conceals its origins as an open cast pit. On one side of this is the beautifully curved structure of the visitor centre. One final lock at the far end of the basin lowers boats to the level of the Forth and Clyde Canal.
I’ll take you to this place where you can watch this in action and see how boats are lifted to a higher plateau where they meet another canal, continuing their journey around Scotland’s beautiful surroundings.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Kelpies & The Helix, 4 Stadium Way The Helix, Falkirk FK2 9EE Scotland

The Kepies and The Helix parkland

The other landmark is The Kelpies, a 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures, the largest equine sculptures in the world, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and near River Carron, in The Helix, a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk area.

The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and they pay homage to the working horses of Scotland which used to pull barges along Scotland’s canals and worked in the fields in the area where they now stand.
But there’s another legend behind this. Would you like to know where the “kelpie” name comes from?

A kelpie is a shape-changing aquatic spirit of Scottish legend. Its name may derive from the Scottish Gaelic words ‘cailpeach’ or ‘colpach’, meaning heifer or colt. Kelpies are said to haunt rivers and streams, usually in the shape of a horse.
But beware…these are malevolent spirits! The kelpie may appear as a tame pony beside a river.
These water horses can also appear in human form. They may materialize as a beautiful young woman, hoping to lure young men to their death. Kelpies can also use their magical powers to summon up a flood in order to sweep a traveller away to a watery grave.
The sound of a kelpie’s tail entering the water is said to resemble that of thunder. And if you are passing by a river and hear an unearthly wailing or howling, take care: it could be a kelpie warning of an approaching storm.
But there is some good news: a kelpie has a weak spot – its bridle. Anyone who can get hold of a kelpie’s bridle will have command over it and any other kelpie. A captive kelpie is said to have the strength of at least 10 horses and the stamina of many more, and is highly prized. It is rumoured that the MacGregor clan have a kelpies bridle, passed down through the generations and said to have come from an ancestor who took it from a kelpie near Loch Slochd.

This legend is very well depicted in these enormous sculptures, despite the fact that they are quite modern looking structures.
They are amazing to look at and very selfie worthy and I’m sure you wanna have a photo of them on your Instagram profile. Or, if you are old fashioned, just a beautiful photo in your album to show your grandkids in the future.

Duration: 1 hour