Falkirk: Wheels, tunnels and Irn-Bru

Posted on by Rob Ainsley

Lovely sunny weather for a route research jaunt along the canal from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk.

Scotland is great nation of inventors: logarithms, tarmac, phones, television etc. The top-hatted guy in the statue on the right is another genius innovator: Robert Barr, discoverer of Irn-Bru.
Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift. The flight of 11 locks it replaced took several hours to negotiate – about as long as you have to wait now at the toilets when the coach parties are in.
Falkirk’s spooky, wet, 630m canal tunnel. The closest I ever want to get to caving. (Apparently you can’t take your bike down most caves.)
Scotland’s drab central industrial belt.