The Wheel – Forth and Clyde Canal (Falkirk)

Glasgow-Falkirk (The Wheel) – Glasgow – 72 km

The Wheel is a remarkable engineering feat that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It is the world’s only rotating boat lift, and it can lift boats up to 24 metres in height. The Wheel was opened in 2002, and it has become a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Scotland’s industrial heritage. The Forth and Clyde Canal was built in the 18th century, and it was the first canal in Britain to cross from coast to coast. It allowed trade and transport between the east and west of Scotland, and it also linked with the Union Canal, which ran to Edinburgh. However, the canals fell into decline in the 20th century, and they were closed in 1963. The Wheel was part of a project to restore the canals and reconnect them, and it has revived their use for leisure and recreation.