| | Falkirk has been known as a fairly bleak, industrial area of Scotland - stuck as it is between bustling Glasgow and picturesque Edinburgh.
It also suffers a bit from being next to another impressive town - Stirling - and as a result is often missed out by sightseers. |  |
| But it's worth a stop to have a look at what is bound to become one of the country's top tourist attractions - The Falkirk Wheel. |
| This 21st century tourist attraction is a major engineering triumph, allowing the first uninterrupted journey across Scotland for narrowboats in centuries across the Forth and Clyde and Union canals. It can also lay claim to being the only rotating boatlift in the world. |
The boat lift, which was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in May 2002, means that for the first time boaters can travel across Scotland from Edinburgh and Grangemouth along the River Forth to Glasgow and beyond
on the River Clyde. |
| The Forth and Clyde Canal first opened in 1773 and the Union Canal in 1822 but the locks which linked them were demolished and the canals have been restored as part of a £78 million project known as the Millennium Link, which has brought 110 kilometres of canals back into use. |
| Falkirk town itself is well worth a stop - it may not be as pretty as its neighbours but it does have a certain charm. |
| Take a bit of time and discover that the Falkirk area is also steeped in Roman history. The Antonine Wall, which dates back to AD142 passes through the area. |
It's a 37 mile route from Bo'ness on the east coast of Scotland, through to
Kirkpatrick, just outside Glasgow. An ideal part of the world for walkers as it also has links to the better known West Highland Way. |
Named after the Roman Emperor of the time, Antonius Pius, there's lots of information about the area's history in nearby Callendar Park. |
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