04/05: Falkirk, Stirling and Balloch
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
Falkirk has 2 interesting sites on the canal system. Yesterday we saw the first one the Kelpies, this morning we saw the second one ---- the Falkirk Wheel.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project. The two canals served by the wheel were previously connected by a series of 11 locks. With a 35-metre (115 ft) difference in height, it required 3,500 tonnes (3,400 long tons; 3,900 short tons) of water per run and took most of a day to pass through the flight. (borrowed from wikipedia)
The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world. At the bottom.
part of the way to the top
Stirling Castle in the city of Stirling is an important castle in Scottish history and has been the home to many kings and queens (Mary Queen of Scots was born here). It has been destroyed (by one of the kings), rebuilt, added on it over the years. As it is situated between the lowlands and the highlands it's also been the site of many battles. Stirling Castle was first mentioned around 1110. Until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, almost every Scottish monarch had either lived in the castle, or been crowned or died here.
A view from a nearby hill looking at the castle.
I don't remember which King and Queen built this part of the castle but the Queen's and King's rooms have been restored, including making new tapestries employing talent from several countries. This is the queen's bedroom. The king's rooms have very little in them as he died before he lived in the castle.
One of the beautiful ceilings.
The National Wallace Monument is a 67 metre tower above the fields where William Wallace (a 13th and 14th-century hero) led his troops to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
A view from the National Wallace Monument
We spent the night in Balloch at the bottom of Lake Lomond.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project. The two canals served by the wheel were previously connected by a series of 11 locks. With a 35-metre (115 ft) difference in height, it required 3,500 tonnes (3,400 long tons; 3,900 short tons) of water per run and took most of a day to pass through the flight. (borrowed from wikipedia)
The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world. At the bottom.
part of the way to the top
Stirling Castle in the city of Stirling is an important castle in Scottish history and has been the home to many kings and queens (Mary Queen of Scots was born here). It has been destroyed (by one of the kings), rebuilt, added on it over the years. As it is situated between the lowlands and the highlands it's also been the site of many battles. Stirling Castle was first mentioned around 1110. Until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, almost every Scottish monarch had either lived in the castle, or been crowned or died here.
A view from a nearby hill looking at the castle.
I don't remember which King and Queen built this part of the castle but the Queen's and King's rooms have been restored, including making new tapestries employing talent from several countries. This is the queen's bedroom. The king's rooms have very little in them as he died before he lived in the castle.
One of the beautiful ceilings.
The National Wallace Monument is a 67 metre tower above the fields where William Wallace (a 13th and 14th-century hero) led his troops to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
A view from the National Wallace Monument
We spent the night in Balloch at the bottom of Lake Lomond.