Falkirk and Stirling

One of the places that has been on our list for this trip is the Falkirk Wheel. We finally managed a sunny day and the temps climbed into the double digits with a predicted high of 16. It was still a bit chilly in the wind, but no complaints from this group!

After breakfast we headed out to Falkirk. My one pet peeve for driving in the UK is the serious lack of signage. It is impossible to know what street you are on and the motorways aren't signed until you are nearly upon them. So, after a bit of a scenic tour, we managed to find the road we wanted and were finally on our way to Falkirk.

The Wheel is an engineering masterpiece and was built as part of the Millenium Link to link the Union Canal to the Forth & Clyde Canal. It replaces the need for 8 flight locks. The wheel is perfectly balanced and works on a rotation basis with one side going up as the other comes down. Both sides are always equally weighted.

From Falkirk, we decided to head over to Stirling to see the Castle. On our way to the castle, we stopped at the Wallace Monument. We climbed the 246 steps to the top of the tower.

Then it was off to see the Castle.

Tomorrow we move to the Old Waverly Hotel on Princes Street. Then before we know it, it will be time to go home.