Things to do in Falkirk

The Kelpies are two enormous steel horse heads rising thirty metres from the Forth and Clyde Canal at the Helix Park near Falkirk, the largest equine sculptures in the world and one of the most spectacular pieces of public art in Scotland. Created by sculptor Andy Scott and completed in 2013, the sculptures were conceived as a monument to the horse-powered heritage of Scotland's heavy industries and the role of working horses in the canals, industries and farms that built modern Scotland. The scale is their most immediately impressive quality. Each Kelpie weighs approximately 300 tonnes, their stainless steel surface panels reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape in constantly changing patterns of light. The choice of the kelpie, the shape-shifting water horse of Scottish folklore, as the mythological framework for sculptures celebrating working horses creates an interesting tension between the dark folkloric tradition and the celebratory industrial heritage narrative. The sculptures mark the eastern entrance to the Helix Park, a large public park providing cycling, walking, water sports and recreation for the communities of the Falkirk area. The canal basin beside the Kelpies provides a visitor centre and access to the canal network, and the combination of the sculptures and the adjacent Falkirk Wheel creates one of the most impressive engineering and public art experiences in Scotland.

The Falkirk Wheel is one of the most remarkable pieces of engineering in Britain, a unique rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal at Falkirk in central Scotland that replaced a series of eleven derelict locks with a single structure of extraordinary ingenuity. Built as part of the Millennium Link project to restore Scotland's central belt canal network, the wheel opened in 2002 and has become both a working piece of transport infrastructure and a major visitor attraction in its own right, drawing visitors from across Britain and beyond. The wheel lifts boats twenty-four metres between the two canals in gondolas balanced by the principle of Archimedes: since a floating boat always displaces exactly its own weight of water, the two gondolas in which boats travel are perpetually in counterbalance regardless of the weight of vessels they contain. The energy required to rotate the entire structure is therefore only that needed to overcome friction, making the wheel one of the most energy-efficient boat lifts in the world and a practical demonstration of the elegance available when engineering works with rather than against physical principles. The visual form of the wheel, designed by the engineering company Arup with architects RMJM, gives physical expression to the engineering principle. The great curving arms sweeping upward from the lower canal basin to the aqueduct of the upper canal suggest simultaneously a Celtic double-headed axe, a set of propeller blades and a turning wheel, and the structure's appearance changes dramatically as it rotates through its cycle. Boat trips through the wheel, lifting passengers from the lower canal basin to the upper level and back, allow visitors to experience the rotation from inside the gondola. The canal towpaths at both levels of the wheel provide excellent walking and cycling, and the restored canal network extends the experience through the Central Belt.

Airth Castle overlooks the village of Airth and the River Forth, in the Falkirk area of Scotland. The castle is a major historic building, and retains much medieval fabric, and is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland. The castle is situated in 14 acres of wooded parkland and landscaped gardens. It is currently operated as a country retreat hotel and spa, and is one of Central Scotland's largest wedding, banqueting, conference, and exhibition venues catering for around 800 guests. Airth Castle took over ownership of Airth Castle when Edward Bruce, the second son of Sir Robert Bruce, married Agnes Airth. Edward's son, Robert Bruce, got the title of Airth Castle after his father died. Robert joined the opposition rebellion against James II, and this decision resulted in the burning down the castle in 1488.

The Falkirk Wheel in central Scotland is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, built as the centrepiece of the Millennium Link project to restore Scotland's central belt canal network and opened in 2002. It is one of the most remarkable pieces of engineering in Britain, replacing eleven derelict locks with a single rotating structure of extraordinary ingenuity that has become one of the most visited engineering attractions in Scotland. The engineering principle is elegant: because a floating boat always displaces exactly its own weight of water, the two gondolas in which boats travel are perpetually in counterbalance regardless of how many boats they contain. The energy required to rotate the entire structure is therefore only that needed to overcome friction, making it one of the most energy-efficient boat lifts in the world and a practical demonstration of Archimedes's principle at engineering scale. Boat trips through the wheel from the lower canal basin allow visitors to experience the rotation from inside the gondola, a remarkable and memorable perspective on the engineering. The proximity of the Kelpies sculpture park on the same canal network makes a combined visit an excellent day out in the Falkirk area.